The FIA has begun testing a new particle filtration system at Zandvoort aimed at preventing tyre, brake and engine debris from being washed away from the circuit and into the wider environment. The prototype installation in the Netherlands forms part of a broader research programme examining how motorsport can better understand and reduce particulate pollution.
While the environmental impact of racing is often discussed in terms of exhaust emissions, vehicles also leave microscopic particles on the track surface. Rainwater can carry that material into drainage networks and eventually into rivers and seas, making the issue particularly relevant at a coastal venue such as Zandvoort.
FIA particle collection system targets microplastics at Zandvoort
The governing body has worked with the Technical University of Berlin and German start-up Urbanfilter to develop prototype filtration units capable of capturing particles before contaminated water leaves the circuit. Engineers first gathered data at Zandvoort before designing two filters that have now been incorporated into the track’s drainage system.
The installation covers approximately 3,300 square metres around the pit lane and Turn 1. Rainwater from that area passes through the system before leaving the circuit, allowing particles to be trapped, collected and subsequently analysed.
Nicolas Aubourg, the FIA’s Research and Development lead, explained that rainfall can transport particles from road and track surfaces into waterways and, over time, potentially towards the sea. He characterised the issue as a growing challenge for society and indicated that motorsport could play a role in developing possible solutions.
Zandvoort’s proximity to the North Sea made it an especially relevant location for the experiment. The Dutch circuit’s European location also helped the project progress quickly from the development phase to a real-world installation. Environmental conditions are already a significant factor during the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort, where the coastal setting influences both the circuit and the cars.
Why the FIA is studying particulate pollution from motorsport
The FIA’s programme is intended to address a problem extending far beyond Formula 1. A 2024 OECD report estimated that approximately 2.7 million tonnes of microplastics entered the environment in 2020 and projected that the figure could double by 2040.
An international study by the University of Portsmouth also estimated that tyre particles represent around 28% of microplastics worldwide. Although the contribution from a single Formula 1 weekend is limited, the FIA sees racing circuits as useful environments in which to test technologies that could later have much broader applications on public roads.
Rain is central to the project because it provides the mechanism through which deposited particles can be carried into drainage systems. That gives additional context to the rain risk during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, although the filtration programme itself is intended as a longer-term environmental trial rather than a solution linked only to one Formula 1 event.
Imperial College London monitors particles at race weekends
Capturing the material is only one part of the FIA’s work. The Federation is also collaborating with Imperial College London to measure particulate emissions during motorsport events. The university’s Environmental Research Group specialises in atmospheric pollution research and has been involved in monitoring activity around race venues.
Aubourg explained that the Belgian Grand Prix represented the second year of particulate monitoring. Researchers operated a laboratory in Stavelot and positioned sensors across several locations, including the paddock, pit lane and grandstands, while also monitoring areas away from racing activity to compare particle concentrations.
The work is designed to establish a clearer picture of where particles originate, how their levels change during an event and how potential mitigation systems might perform outside laboratory conditions.
Urbanfilter prototype claims up to 99% laboratory capture rate
The FIA’s connection with Urbanfilter was established through the Audi Environmental Foundation. Founded in 2020, the initiative examined how filtration technology could be incorporated directly into roadside drainage networks, allowing pollutants to be intercepted close to where they are produced.
Aubourg described the concept as a relatively simple but effective system. According to laboratory testing referenced by the FIA R&D lead, the filter was capable of capturing up to 99% of particles contained in water passing through it, while maintenance would be required approximately once per year.
The next challenge is determining whether those results can be reproduced at a working racing circuit, where rainfall, debris levels and operating conditions are considerably less controlled than in a laboratory.
FIA could take particle filters to more F1 circuits
If the Zandvoort prototypes provide encouraging results, the FIA hopes to begin discussions with other circuits about adopting the concept. Aubourg highlighted the speed of the project, noting that the filter progressed from the design stage to installation at Zandvoort within roughly one year. He also indicated that other venues have already shown interest.
The potential application extends beyond permanent Formula 1 tracks. Street circuits could become particularly important because the filtration infrastructure could remain useful throughout the year, capturing particles generated by everyday road traffic rather than operating only during a Grand Prix weekend.
Such an approach would allow technology tested through motorsport to serve a wider environmental purpose, which is one of the central aims of the FIA programme. Zandvoort is therefore functioning not simply as a Formula 1 venue but as a real-world test site for a drainage concept that could eventually be deployed in other settings.
The Dutch event forms part of the wider 2026 Formula 1 calendar, but the value of the experiment could ultimately extend well beyond the championship if the system proves effective under real operating conditions.
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