Formula 1 sustainability has moved to the centre of the sport’s agenda in 2026, with new technical regulations increasing the electrical contribution of the power units and introducing 100% sustainable fuels. Despite these changes, however, doubts remain over whether a championship built around a globe-spanning calendar can ever become genuinely environmentally sustainable.
At the heart of the debate is a significant contradiction. Although the emissions produced by Formula 1 cars on the track are highly visible, the movement of team personnel, cars and equipment around the world represents a much greater challenge. As the calendar continues to expand, sustainable fuel alone cannot eliminate the championship’s wider environmental footprint.
How the 2026 rules support Formula 1 sustainability
The new Formula 1 technical regulations introduced this year form part of the sport’s Net Zero Carbon project. The objective is to achieve a balance between the carbon emissions released into the atmosphere and those removed through compensatory measures, ultimately bringing the championship’s net environmental impact down to zero.
For this reason, the FIA introduced the use of so-called carbon-neutral fuel. This means that the amount of carbon used to produce the fuel is equivalent to the amount subsequently emitted by the engine. As part of the wider push towards electrification, including in the road-car industry, the fuel is also classified as drop-in, meaning it can be used in existing road cars without requiring modifications.
The fuel is created by combining non-food biological sources, genuine waste feedstocks or carbon extracted directly from the atmosphere. This approach has produced a substantial reduction in emissions while maintaining the same level of power and performance.
Several reports supporting the effectiveness of the new fuel indicate that Advanced Sustainable Fuel can deliver unchanged performance while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 65%. That figure is certified according to the parameters established by the latest European Union Renewable Energy Directive. The technology has also become an important area of development for teams and suppliers, including the work being conducted on Ferrari and Shell’s 2026 sustainable fuel.
The paradox of Formula 1 logistics
It would be easy to assume that emissions from the cars racing on the track cause the greatest environmental damage. In reality, one of the most important factors is the enormous number of journeys required to transport team personnel and single-seater components throughout the season.
After repeatedly hearing the FIA promote increasingly ambitious environmental sustainability targets, it inevitably raises questions when drivers return home aboard private jets while the number of rounds on the world championship calendar continues to grow.
There has nevertheless been some encouraging progress in this area. Investments in sustainable fuels for aviation and road freight have reportedly made it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 30,000 tonnes, according to research conducted by the University of Padua.
The logistical operation behind a modern Formula 1 season is extraordinarily complex, with teams moving cars, garage equipment and technical infrastructure between continents. Ferrari, for example, must manage the demands created by an increasingly extensive global Formula 1 logistics programme.
To monitor the environmental development of the manufacturers and organisations competing in the championship, the FIA has also created a unified environmental accreditation programme. Its purpose is to help the companies involved measure their environmental performance against established standards.
Why Formula 1 faces accusations of greenwashing
Greenwashing describes the unethical practice of companies presenting themselves as supporters of environmental sustainability without backing those claims with concrete action or structural change.
In Formula 1’s case, the accusations generally revolve around two main areas: the expanding race calendar and commercial sponsorships. The championship’s business model remains highly globalised, making it structurally difficult to redirect an operation of this scale towards a completely sustainable model.
The calendar has generally continued to grow by one or more Grands Prix per year. The problem is not the additional number of kilometres completed by the cars on the circuit, but the extra travel required to ensure each race weekend can take place as normal. The scale of the current 2026 Formula 1 calendar therefore has implications extending far beyond the sporting programme.
Across an entire season, the Formula 1 circus is estimated to cover approximately 127,000 kilometres by air for its various movements. The championship’s seasonal emissions are estimated at between 220,000 and 260,000 tonnes of CO2. Although that represents a reduction compared with previous levels, it remains a significant figure.
Fossil-fuel sponsorships complicate F1’s environmental message
Sponsorship represents another point of contention. Formula 1 teams continue to receive financial backing from fossil-fuel producers, as illustrated by the partnership between Mercedes and Petronas, while Formula 1 itself maintains commercial agreements with oil companies.
The question of whether Formula 1 can become genuinely sustainable therefore remains highly controversial. Despite the FIA’s various initiatives, one fundamental question still has to be answered: is Formula 1 structurally incompatible with environmental protection, or can the championship change decisively for the better?e
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