As the appetite for a more environmentally conscious existence grows, so too does the greenwashing terminology. In racing, this has taken the form of sustainable, renewable, eco-friendly, green, synthetic, advanced e-fuels, which are now appearing in almost every championship.
Formula 1 is currently running an E10 sustainable fuel that features 10 per cent green ethanol and has committed to a 100 per cent ‘drop-in’ sustainable fuel for 2026. The World Rally Championship introduced a 100 per cent sustainable fuel with synthetic and biofuel components last year, while the 100th anniversary of Le Mans will run on a 100 per cent renewable fuel made from wine residues. Even the likes of Formula Student and truck racing championships are turning to biofuels.
Of course, the CO2 emissions exiting the tailpipe of a racecar are a drop in the ocean compared to the CO2 generated by freight, travel and the running of factories. In fact, Formula 1 calculated the total carbon footprint of the 2019 season to be 256,551 tonnes of CO2. Of that, only 0.7 per cent was down to emissions from the cars on track, while 72.7 per cent was caused by the movement of freight and people.
Sphere of influence
So why is Formula 1 focusing on such a microscopic piece of the puzzle? Well, no one is sitting in front of their TV watching freight, they are watching racecars. So, the hope is that by showcasing more sustainable technologies on the racetrack, motorsport can influence fans to choose ‘greener’ fuel alternatives for their road cars. The question is, which sustainable fuel actually has the least environmental impact on our planet?
‘A true sustainable fuel essentially recycles carbon and does not add any additional carbon to the atmosphere,’ clarifies David Richardson, business development director at Coryton, which supplies sustainable fuels to Dakar, rally and endurance racing. ‘It is produced from sources of recycled carbon, such as biomass, or direct from the atmosphere. So when it is burnt, the
