In 2026, F1 takes another step towards reducing its carbon emissions. This year, the main category of world motorsport implements changes in technical regulations and includes the adoption of 100% sustainable fuel and the reformulation of power units, which now have an even greater share of electrical energy. The objective is part of the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.
The measures come into force in another edition with 24 races, spread across four continents. While maintaining its global reach, the category faces the challenge of reducing its environmental impact given its complex intercontinental logistics.
The opening will be this weekend, with the Australian GP. The start will be in the early hours of Saturday (7) to Sunday (8), at 1 am (Brasília time).
The fuel developed for 2026 replaces E10 – a formula made with 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol, used since 2022. The current composition will be produced synthetically by capturing carbon, taken directly from the air or from industrial emissions, urban waste and non-food biomass, that is, organic matter not intended for human consumption.
“Unlike conventional gasoline, which is produced through the refining of crude oil, these components are manufactured by converting sustainable raw materials into fuel molecules through delicate chemical processes,” explains a spokesperson for Aramco, the company that supplies lubricants to the Aston Martin team.
According to Aramco, which also produced the sustainable fuel used in F2 and F3, access categories to F1, last year, the main challenge was to identify components that meet the sustainability criteria determined by the FIA (International Automobile Federation) for F1.
“Each component can have its own unique production process, adapted to the specific raw material used, and the final fuel mixture must comply with greenhouse gas emissions limits,” says the supplier.
Until then, the cost of the fuel used was counted as part of the budget limit that teams presented to the FIA. With the increase in research and production costs for new formulas, this expense is no longer part of the annual spending ceiling.
According to F1, the fuel was designed to replace fossil equivalents without the need for engine adaptations, which allows its use in street vehicles.
The category also highlights the electrification of engines, which increases significantly and now divides power delivery almost equally with the combustion engine.
Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi, Cadillac test driver, explains that the change impacts driving and racing strategies.
“The strategy of how to use the accelerator and energy throughout the lap will also be very different from what it was in the past. Before, it was something like 75% of the power coming from the combustion engine and 25% from the battery. Now, it has become more or less 50% to 50%”, says Fittipaldi.
In practice, teams will have to review approaches for both qualifying laps and the race, as electrical energy needs to be managed and recharged.
“This greatly affects the way the driver drives the car, as he can be more efficient in using energy throughout the lap. During the race, this can accumulate. A driver who is more intelligent in his strategy can gain an advantage. We saw this very early in the simulator and we have already started to understand what is most important to maximize the car’s potential”, he explains.
If on the track the goal is to reduce emissions and increase efficiency, off the track the challenge is logistical. The 2026 season will have 24 stages distributed across America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Transporting cars, parts, hospitality structures and transmission equipment involves large-scale air and sea operations.
Although F1 has tried to optimize routes — such as the reorganization of stages in North America, bringing Canada and Miami closer together —, the model of an extensive and intercontinental calendar imposes practical limits on reducing emissions.
In the case of the Autódromo de Interlagos, which hosts the 21st stage of the calendar, the aerial operation departs from Mexico, host of the previous race. “From there, eight cargo planes with the finest materials, such as cars and engines, arrive at Viracopos airport, in Campinas”, explains Regina Yazbek, from Célere Intralogística, the company responsible for operating the GP São Paulo.
“For each flight, between 14 and 16 trucks are used. In total, from Viracopos to Interlagos, we carry out between 115 and 120 trips.”
In addition to the airlift, there is also sea cargo, which arrives around three weeks before the event. “There are 600 tons transported on ships that dock at the port of Santos, coming from different regions, such as Singapore and Europe”, says Yazbek.
