The Green Grid: Interviewing an F1 Engineer
The world of Formula 1 is often known as the pinnacle of motorsports, the best of the best. But behind the glamour and the roaring engines, the sport is grappling with an inherent contradiction: its environmental impact. In an exclusive interview, an F1 engineer from a leading team sheds light on the sport’s behind-the-scenes sustainability push, the formidable challenges, and how F1 is trying to clean up its act.
More Than Just Publicity
The engineer, who recently completed a placement and is returning in a full-time role, was quick to emphasise that the team’s sustainability efforts run deeper than mere publicity. “I think we do recognise as a team that the sport is inherently unsustainable in a physical sense,” they explained. “So even putting publicity aside, there's probably something in there which makes us want to help the world where we can.”
This drive is led by a dedicated and expanding sustainability team working on multiple fronts. Initiatives within the factory include composting programs and a switch from single-use takeaway boxes to reusable containers in the canteen. For freight, the team now uses a significant percentage of biofuel to power its trucks between European races and its factory.
One of the most popular programs is an internal carpooling system for employees. “If you drive yourself and another employee to the factory, you both get free lunch that day,” the engineer said. “Quite a lot of people take advantage of the free lunch… people are generally quite positive and do participate in it.”
The Inherent Problem
For the engineers on the ground, many of these changes are seamless. A dedicated travel team handles all complex logistics, and sustainability measures are often implemented behind the scenes. The engineer noted small but observable changes, like being transported from airports on coaches before picking up grouped rental cars at hotels, reducing individual vehicle journeys.
However, they were candid about the core issue that no amount of biofuel can completely erase: “Flying to 24 destinations around the world a year is inherently not good for any of us.” This, coupled with the burning of fuel on track, represents the sport's biggest hurdle in achieving its ambitious goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.
The engineer suggested this target is a “very big step,” comparing it to the aviation industry’s net-zero goals. While initiatives like regionalising the calendar to minimise freight miles help, the commercial need to host races across the globe creates a “careful balance.”
The Real Impact: Trickle-Down Technology
While fan-facing changes are subtle, the engineer argued that F1’s most significant environmental contribution lies in its R&D. The sport’s true power is as a catalyst for sustainable technology that eventually filters down to road cars.
“The influence is probably bigger in terms of what gets fed back to the wider automotive industry as opposed to the fan experience,” they stated.
This is most evident in the upcoming 2026 power unit regulations. The new rules mandate a move toward 100% sustainable fuels and a major shift in energy recovery systems. The complex MGU-H, which harvests heat energy from the turbo, is being removed. Instead, the focus will be on a more powerful MGU-K, which recovers kinetic energy from braking, a technology with direct and immediate applications in the electric vehicle market.
Impacts of the Cost Cap
In an unexpected twist, the financial regulations may be inadvertently aiding sustainability efforts. While it could limit R&D spending, the engineer believes the net effect is positive.
“The answer is probably yes, because production-wise, we're obviously now very limited to how much we can manufacture and test,” they said. This reduction in constant manufacturing and the shipment of fewer spare parts worldwide directly reduces the sport’s carbon footprint.
A Culture of Passive Participation
So, is protecting the environment at the forefront of every engineer’s mind? The answer was realistic. For most, the relentless focus on performance takes precedence.
“I would suspect it's probably not at the front of their minds, to be honest,” they said. “We're more sort of passive, but we do participate in initiatives where we can.”
Employees may not be spearheading new green policies, but they are willing participants in the systems put in place, returning their reusable lunch boxes and carpooling to work. It’s a culture of doing your best within the high-pressure framework of the sport.
The Road Ahead
As our conversation concluded, the engineer looked to their own future, aiming to climb the ladder to become a Race Engineer. For them, sustainability will remain a constant background, influencing logistics and personal habits more than their core engineering work.
The path to a greener F1 is long and fraught with contradiction. But through a combination of genuine internal effort, technological innovation, and perhaps a little help from the rulebook, the sport is slowly shifting into a more sustainable gear. The journey to carbon neutrality by 2030 remains a monumental challenge, but for the first time, the checkered flag might just be in sight.
