Formula 1’s Carbon Calendar
Reorganising the packed Formula 1 calendar is the single most effective way the sport can cut down its carbon footprint.
Formula 1 has a carbon problem. In 2018 alone the sport was responsible for carbon emissions of 256,551 tonnes. Travel produces the overwhelming majority of the sport's carbon emissions, 72.7% in 2018. Logistics like transporting cars, parts and equipment contributed 45%, transporting personnel contributed a further 27.7%.
The record-breaking 23 race 2021 calendar brings the issue of travel into sharp focus. Measured point to point from each racetrack the combined distance the sport will travel in 2021 is around 62,500 miles. It will be covered by ten different teams, each transporting between 50 and 100 tonnes of equipment and up to 600 members of staff. The calculated distance ignores the currently unconfirmed race week 4, testing and travel from the factories, meaning the actual distance is much higher.
The order of the calendar is a serious issue. The continuous crisscrossing across the globe only serves to increase the number of air miles covered by the sport’s teams. The travel involved between race week six at Monaco and race week nine at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France emphasises the issue. The two are separated geographically by around 90 miles, the shortest distance between two races on the calendar. However, between the races the Formula 1 circus first flies to Azerbaijan then to Canada before finally returning to France. The point to point distance is around 11,500 miles, for what could have been a 90-mile trip, at an enormous environmental cost.
If Formula is genuinely serious about reducing its carbon footprint then a rationalisation of the calendar is needed. The sport must look to reduce travel between races as much as possible. Air travel, in particular, should be discouraged given it is the most polluting form of transport.
The tables below compare the current season to the ideal carbon reduced calendar containing the same races. It is important to note that the comparison does not take into account track availability at certain times of the year. The comparison shows what could be possible if the calendar was arranged solely by the environmental impact, keeping distance to a minimum. Travel could be reduced by around 34,500 miles if the season started in Australia and finished in Brazil.
The Brazilian Grand Prix has become a cause for environmental concern in the past year. The far-right Brazilian president, Jair Bolosonaro, wants to move the race from the Interlagos in Sao Paulo to an unbuilt new track in Rio De Janeiro's Camboata Forest.
Environmental campaigners say that building the track would destroy 180,000 trees in an area that is home to at least 21 endangered species. Lewis Hamilton has criticised the plans citing the "global crisis with deforestation". Formula 1 must refuse any plans to move to the new track to reduce its environmental impact.
Formula 1 is making slow progress in reducing its carbon footprint. From 2021, 10% of engine fuel must come from sustainable sources, increasing to 100% by 2026. There is a commitment to run "sustainable" races by 2025, a vague strategy to use renewable materials in all areas of a race weekend. The sport plans to go carbon neutral by 2030.
The Coronavirus pandemic appears to have provided an opportunity to accelerate some of the plans, encouraging a 34% reduction in travelling freight and a 36% reduction in travelling staff. This is a positive step that the sport should try to build on through the reorganisation of the calendar.
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However, while the calendar remains in its current state, these changes amount to little more than greenwashing. Emissions produced by the racecars are around 0.7% of the sport's total while only 7.3% are from race weekends, a small proportion of the sports emissions in comparison to those produced by travel.
Formula 1 must do everything it can to reduce its environmental impact. Minimising travel between races is the single most effective way to bring emissions down. The calendar should prioritise the environment above all else.
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