F1 is conspiring to meet the ambitious goal of zero emissions by 2030

Can a car capable of crossing the finish line at nearly 350 kilometers per hour be an ally of the environment? Can be and, certainly, the best engine for energy transfer that the mobility sector should accept to be closer. More than a sporting spectacle, behind its deafening scenes, Formula 1 hides the key. Not only do the engineers conspire to make their car come first, but also to do it with the lowest possible emissions.

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Some milestones have already been achieved. For example, F1 cars are 30% more fuel efficient. But on the nearest horizon are new challenges, ambitious, but increasingly visible thanks to the alliance between Santander and Ferrari, the most successful team in history. The bank, back in Formula 1 as a team sponsor, has become an ally for the Italian to achieve its plans to be neutral in carbon emissions by 2030 and contribute to achieving a more sustainable model for the competition and automotive industry industry as a whole.

Without further ado, the new neutral engine is just one step away from becoming a reality. 2025 is the year set to achieve this, and the pilots know it. In fact, they, the best in the world, like Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz, who test all the innovations made, increasingly aware that speed, efficiency and maintenance come together in the same place. His drive and experience seek, as the Spanish pilot said, “to make the race as efficient and as short as possible”, without detracting even one iota from this amazing sport.

all red

On the asphalt, the presence of Banco Santander is obvious to the eye. The entity led by Ana Botín is combined with the red of the emblematic car, the race kit and the cap. But, thus expanding its contribution to the fight against climate change, Santander’s role is more than a simple chromatic unit, making different solutions available to the team to support the work the team is doing to reduce its emissions, the horizon in which they have been working for many years.

A finish line that Santander knows well, and has conquered in the circuit it knows: its sector. So in the first half of 2022 it became the world leader in the financing of renewable energy projects, with a total financed of more than 2,400 million euros. The entity has also been carbon neutral in its activity since 2020, with the aim of achieving net zero emissions for all emissions from its clients derived from either financing, advisory or investment services.

F1 is not left behind. In fact, a decade ago, in 2012, the big milestone was the reduction of total carbon emissions by 12.4% compared to 2009. In 2014, they increased the throttle again: the fuel efficiency of the F1 cars improved by fifty %. And there is more. In 2025, F1 plans to introduce a new competition engine (a second generation hybrid power unit), which will be carbon neutral and run on advanced sustainable fuel.

From the circuit to the street

Embracing a sustainable framework is not something that only affects Formula 1. In fact, it concerns the entire world of sport. The commitment made a year ago by more than 280 clubs and institutions in the world of sports -among them FIFA, F1 or the International Olympic Committee (IOC)- is the best example. The goal is common: to reach net zero emissions by 2040 and reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030.

In 2026, F1 plans to present a new competition engine, which will be neutral in carbon emissions and use advanced sustainable fuel.

The participation of Formula One Management (FOM), owner of F1, with the allies of Banco Santander, and the developments led by Ferrari is the best basis to achieve this, as recognized by Charles Leclerc: “The efficiency of F1 cars today is absolute madness, but I think the whole sport is pushing sustainability to a higher level. And it’s not new either. For 70 years, F1 and the investment of the teams has functioned as a test bed for several technological advances, from aspects of aerodynamics to brake design, beyond speed.

Thanks to the alliance with Santander, the automotive sector in general and Ferrari in particular have a great team to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a sustainable model based on NetZero, inside and outside the circuits. In the words of John Elkann, president of Ferrari, the developments will “allow the industry, first, and then society as a whole, to be more sustainable. The great innovations and technological advances of F1 have been transferred to entire industry, which is beneficial to society as a whole.