Formula 1 CEO and ex-Scuderia Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has responded to the EU banning combustion cars from 2035 onward, saying that his sport will never go fully electric. But how will the sport become sustainable and stay relevant, having justified its existence in the past as an R&D activity for future road car technology?

Domenicali, who succeeded Chase Carey as head honcho of Formula 1 in 2021, is critical of the EU’s and other governments’ decision to ban internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, calling the switch to electric “an indisputable dogma” in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Sustainable fuel from 2026

But how will F1 become sustainable without opting for a fully-electrified drivetrain, like Formula E is already running? The answer, according to Domenicali, is a sustainable fuel, which will power F1 cars from 2026, and could also be used in the entire transportation sector, from road transport to air and sea freight.

This sustainable fuel, developed along with the key sponsor and Saudi oil company Aramco, will be laboratory-created from captured carbon or waste products. It should match the current gasoline-based E10 fuel in terms of energy density and save at least 65% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil-based gasoline.

Electrification still part of the strategy

But even with F1’s refusal to fentirelyswitch to electric powertrains, the electric part of the hybrid powertrains (which F1 has been running since 2014) will grow from 2026, when up to 50% of the cars’ 1 000 hp will come from the battery.

This step toward sustainability in 2026 has attracted the interest of several OEMs like Ford, which is partnering with Red Bull, and Cadillac, which wants to enter the sport with American racing team Andretti with Alpine as its engine partner.

Audi has already confirmed it is taking over from Alfa Romeo as Sauber’s technical partner, and Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, and Honda all wish to remain in the sport.

Freight causes most emissions

Of course, this switch to sustainable fuels and more efficient powertrains only contributes to a minimal amount of emission savings compared to the total impact of the sport. This is because the bulk of the carbon footprint of F1 still comes from the freight operations of this global sport, which often crosses continents in just a week.

F1 is taking steps there, too, with increased remote operations negating some transport necessities and pushing for more efficiency with what still needs to be transported across the globe. But in the end, Formula 1’s carbon neutrality will depend on the ships and planes it uses to travel the world.

This is why the sport speaks of ‘Net Zero 2030’, as the remaining emissions will probably be compensated, for instance, by planting trees or building renewable energy resources.