Mercedes FIA Safety Car and Mercedes FIA Medical Car. April 18, 2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Round 5, Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China, Preparation Day
The official FIA Safety Cars are set to operate with eco-friendly fuels for the rest of the 2024 Formula 1 season and beyond – starting at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
Incorporating sustainable fuels in this year’s Safety Cars ensures F1 stays in line with its widespread introduction of 100% sustainable fuels in the F1 cars themselves for the 2026 season.
Furthermore, the use of sustainable fuels aligns with the sport’s overall goal of becoming a carbon-neutral entity.
The official Safety Cars provided by Mercedes-AMG and Aston Martin Lagonda will run on a 40% sustainable fuel blend.
This represents a significant advancement from the E10 fuel introduced to the F1 power units for the 2022 season, which contains 10% renewable ethanol.
However, on-track vehicles only contribute to 1% of the sport’s total carbon footprint, and substantial progress is required in other areas.
These efforts include a more strategically planned calendar to reduce air travel and the integration of electric vehicle transportation during the European leg of the season.
Nevertheless, despite the incorporation of sustainable fuels in the FIA Safety Cars resulting in a small environmental benefit, the implications are much broader.
By using F1 as a platform, the knowledge gained from sustainable fuels can be applied to the wider automotive community.
Given that the majority of the global population still relies on internal combustion engines, sustainable fuels can have a significant impact in reducing carbon emissions on a global scale.