Formula One will never go electric, says CEO

Formula One is transitioning to more environmentally friendly technologies, but the sport’s current CEO has unequivocally said it will never switch to electric power.

The CEO of Formula One – the top tier of global motorsport – has ruled out any chance of the sport going electric, saying sustainable fuels will allow it to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore – first reported by Motor Authority – Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali reportedly said the sport “will never go electric” despite its pursuit of producing net-zero emissions before the end of the decade.

Instead, Formula One will reduce its on-track emissions by mandating sustainable fuels for the race cars.

At present, all Formula One cars run on E10 fuel – comprised of 90 per cent fossil fuels and 10 per cent ethanol, similar to what you can get at your local petrol station, though the racing fuels are manufactured to a much higher standard.

From 2026, all engines powering Formula One cars will be fuelled by “100 per cent sustainable” synthetic fuels, prompting car-makers such as Ford, Audi and Cadillac to enter the series in part to piggy-back off the sport’s ‘green’ image.

The cars will continue to be powered by turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 petrol engines – although from 2026 the car’s hybrid system will produce approximately three times its current output, increasing from 120kW to 350kW.

This means the car’s V6 petrol engine – now developing 400kW – will almost be matched by the hybrid system.

Despite Formula One’s push to go ‘green’ over the past decade – and being an early adopter of hybrid technology in global motor racing – it has not been as quick to adopt sustainable fuels as other motorsport series.

From 2009, the Australian V8 Supercars championship has been powered by E85 fuel – an 85 per cent ethanol/15 per cent high-octane fossil-fuel blend.

This year, the new generation of Supercars – known as ‘Gen3’ – will run on E75 fuel, which is 75 per cent ethanol and a 25 per cent mix of fossil and sustainable fuels.

V8 Supercars was one of the first motorsport championships to move to an eco-friendly fuel, running on E85 since 2009

Formula E – a championship for electric open-wheel race cars – started in 2014 months after Formula One moved to V6 hybrid engines, attracting more than a dozen manufacturers across the last decade.

In 2023, the North American IndyCar open-wheel racing series moves from E85 to a “100 per cent renewable ethanol”, which oil giant Shell claims will reduce the championship’s on-track emissions by 60 per cent compared to regular racing fuels.

The 2023 Formula One season begins this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

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