After a successful trial run last season Mercedes Formula One, PETRONAS and their logistics partners are working together to deliver the aspiration of a fully biofueled European season.

The trial in 2022 provided results of an 89 percent reduction in CO2 freight emissions as the Formula One team travelled around Europe.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team said:
“Motor racing is fuelled by passion and we have a responsibility to use Formula One’s global platform to be more than leaders; we want to be pioneers.

“Working with our Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS, we see sustainable fuels as central to our Team’s strategy to reduce our largest sources of emissions and achieve Net Zero by 2030.

“Working together, we can be fully committed to sustainable high performance. Delivering an 89 percent reduction in emissions for every kilometre that our trucks travel this summer would be a real achievement for the combined efforts of the Team, PETRONAS and our logistical partners who have worked so hard on this innovative and challenging project.”

Now the group is working together with their Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS, to a more sustainable future, driven by continuous technical innovation, and pioneering the transition of the team and Formula One to a Net Zero future.

As part of a sport which travels the world to go racing, the company are very aware of the logistical impact of their business.

With the need to transport not only the cars, parts and other supplies but the staff that make the team successful, they are continuously looking for better ways to do so and aiming to be as sustainable as possible across every area of their transportation requirements.

Formula One has recognised this and the new sustainability exclusions in the Financial Regulations of the sport were approved at the most recent F1 Commission, enabled by constructive cooperation between the FIA, Formula One and the ten teams.

They have unlocked opportunities for innovation in sustainability that were previously in conflict with on-track performance. This initiative for a fully biofueled European season is the first of these projects.

Over the nine races across Europe, the fleet of Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks, which transport all the freight required for each race, will refuel with HVO100, a second-generation biofuel.

From their departure points in the UK and Germany to arriving in Imola and then travelling through Europe, each truck will cover between 9,000 to 10,000 kms, which we aim to be fully powered by HVO100, reducing the emissions for each kilometre covered by 89 percent.

This is a significant undertaking, with several known challenges to be overcome connected to supply in certain geographies.

The team have announced their ambition of achieving over 60 percent emissions reduction and 200 tonnes of CO2 saved at this stage, with full analysis on the final carbon emissions savings and the success of the project to be published at the end of the season.

Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team said:
“Our aspiration to achieve a fully biofueled European season is a challenging and complex project which has been ongoing behind the scenes at the team for over a year.

“With the support and collaborative effort of our expert partners, we are tackling a key pillar in our strategy for achieving Net Zero and supporting the wider adoption of HVO100 across the sport and logistics industries.

“This project marks another step in our sustainability journey, but we are on a learning curve.

“From the evidence of our trial, we are excited to see that 89 percent emissions reduction is possible for every journey that our trucks make, whilst recognising that supply challenges in sourcing HVO100 across Europe remain significant.”

The race base generators, used to power the Engineering trucks once they are set up in the Formula One paddock, will also be biofuel powered and served by a dedicated PETRONAS-branded tanker truck from mid-season onwards.

This is bold action to address the teams largest sources of emissions and they see sustainable fuels as key to reducing their carbon footprint.

After pioneering investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, reducing the emissions of the race team’s personnel air travel footprint by close to 50 percent the focus now shifts to lessening the impact of the road-based freight logistics.

Datuk Sazali Hamzah, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Downstream said: “Today, we are witnessing a significant milestone in the successful use of HVO100 or sustainable fuel in freight transportation for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team.

“By offering a solution that is 100 percent renewable and made from sustainably sourced materials, we help our partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 percent.

“This is a testament to our commitment to supporting the motorsport’s ambition towards a sustainable future by leveraging collaborative efforts with our partners including Neste.

“Together with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, we will continue to progress in the right direction by perfecting our technology to meet the technical challenge presented by the 2026 power unit regulations.”