Sustainability in Formula 1 is no longer limited to hybrid power units or reduced track emissions. It has evolved into a much broader system that covers everything from race logistics and energy consumption to material recovery across the entire Grand Prix weekend. Even components that were once considered disposable, like lubricants and oils used in racing operations, are now part of a structured circular economy.
One of the most significant developments in this area comes from the collaboration between Shell and Ferrari, where used trackside oil is no longer treated as waste. Instead, it is carefully collected, tracked, and processed through specialised recycling systems in line with modern sustainability standards in motorsport.
How Ferrari F1 oil becomes part of sustainable construction materials
According to Shell representative Valeria Loreti, the process has been completely redefined in recent years. She explained that the oil used during race weekends is fully recovered and sent to certified recycling partners. It is not burned or discarded, but instead reprocessed so it can be reused in other industrial sectors.
One of the most interesting outcomes of this process is its use in the construction industry. After treatment, the recycled oil can be transformed into components used in bitumen production, which plays a key role in waterproofing roofs and other infrastructure materials. In this way, elements that once circulated inside a Formula 1 power unit can eventually contribute to everyday construction projects.
Shell highlighted that this represents a completely different philosophy compared to the past, when race-weekend materials were not systematically recovered or reused. Today, Formula 1 sustainability strategies are built around a full lifecycle approach, ensuring that every resource used during a Grand Prix has a defined post-race purpose.
This approach goes far beyond fuel technology alone. Modern Formula 1 sustainability programmes also include logistics optimisation, energy sourcing, material handling, and even the environmental footprint of fan zones, temporary structures, and event infrastructure.
Within this framework, the Shell-Ferrari partnership plays a central role. Shell has also supported Ferrari’s wider energy transition by supplying certified renewable electricity to the team’s Maranello headquarters, aligning factory operations with the sport’s long-term sustainability targets.
Reinventing F1 logistics to reduce environmental impact
Another major transformation has taken place behind the scenes in how Ferrari’s trackside laboratory is transported between races. Previously, the entire laboratory system was flown from one Grand Prix to another as a single unit, which resulted in higher logistical emissions.
That system has now been completely redesigned. Instead of air transport, the laboratory is divided into modular units that are shipped by sea and carefully synchronised with Ferrari’s broader logistics schedule. This change has significantly reduced the carbon footprint associated with transporting technical equipment across the season.
Shell explained that this redesign required close coordination with Ferrari’s logistics department. Together, they developed a new modular structure that maintains full operational capability at the track while drastically improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
As a result, even highly specialised equipment like chemical analysis laboratories has been integrated into a more sustainable operational model. From oil recovery at the end of a race weekend to lower-emission transport systems, every stage is being optimised to reduce the environmental footprint of modern Formula 1.
Formula 1, often perceived purely as the peak of performance engineering and competition, is increasingly becoming a real-world testing ground for applied sustainability technologies. One of the most striking examples of this transformation is how race waste products, including used lubricants from cars driven by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, can ultimately be repurposed into materials used in everyday infrastructure like buildings and roads.
This shift highlights how deeply sustainability is now embedded in the sport, turning Formula 1 into a global laboratory where innovation extends far beyond the racetrack.
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