1:08
- ABC News
- December 11, 2021
Drivers call on F1 to be more 'green'
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are championing the cause.
1:08
It's not just the drivers who are taking sustainability seriously. Pirelli, F1's exclusive supplier of tires, recycles the teams' used tires -- more than 1,600 per race -- at the company's factory in the U.K. But the Italian manufacturer wants to do even more to lower its carbon footprint.
\"We are investigating many areas to be more green -- from the production process to raw materials to water usage and sustainable energy in factories and transportation,\" Mario Isola, head of F1 and car racing at Pirelli, told ABC News. \"The process is constantly under revision. We're discussing if we can reduce the number of tires we transport.\"
Moreover, the company has increased its use of renewable materials, eliminated single-use plastics from its trackside operations and has successfully complied with a number of sustainability audits that focus on carbon emissions. Pirelli also set a company-wide target of reducing overall CO2 emissions by 25% (compared to 2015 levels) by 2025 and purchasing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources.
\"Sustainability is a must for Pirelli,\" Isola said.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/pirelli-tires-02-gty-iwb-211210_1639150841141_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\")
Stefano Domenicali, F1's chief executive, said the sport's mission is to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2030 and transition to 100% renewable electricity at all F1 and team facilities. Solar panels have been installed at the French and Canadian circuits, with the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain 100% renewably powered. Approximately 256,000 CO2 equivalent tonnes are generated in an entire race season, according to F1.
In 2025, sport officials plan to unveil a new, second-generation hybrid power unit that will be carbon neutral and powered by a drop-in advanced sustainable fuel, a top priority for the series. A global fan survey, conducted this year by Nielsen Sports, Motorsport Network and F1, found that two-thirds of respondents from 187 countries \"are aware of F1's drive towards introducing sustainable fuels by mid 2020s.\"
Williams Racing, a storied team in the F1 series, announced in October that it has committed to becoming climate positive by 2030. The team is a signatory of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework and recently gained FIA Three-star environmental accreditation.
\"Formula One has the ability to create technical solutions to help tackle the challenges we face as a planet. As we progress towards our goal to be climate positive in the years ahead, my hope is that Williams Racing can inspire all those connected with our sport and beyond, using motorsport as a catalyst for significant and long-lasting change,\" Jost Capito, CEO of Williams Racing, said in a statement.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/williams-team-car-02-gty-iwb-211210_1639150841154_hpEmbed_13x8_384.jpg\")
Fred Smith, a contributing editor at Road & Track, said F1 has been slow to enact sustainable policies and programs. He pointed to the extreme race schedules that require the 10 teams and support staff to crisscross various continents week after week.
\"It's the weight of a circus,\" Smith told ABC News of the teams' air travel. \"Heavy carbon offsets are needed.\"
He added, \"F1 is less interested in sustainability than the drivers. It's not too concerned about local or environmental issues.\"
Smith would like to see F1 take a similar approach to Extreme E, a new concept in motorsports where drivers compete in electric SUVs in five remote landscapes that are \"already damaged or severely under threat of climate change from a range of serious issues including melting ice caps, deforestation, desertification and rising sea levels,\" according to the racing series.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/extreme-e-st-helena-02-ht-iwb-211210_1639151975986_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\")
Scientists voyage with the five Extreme E teams aboard RMS St Helena, a former British Royal Mail cargo ship that has been refurbished and transformed into a \"floating paddock\" and scientific base. Fans are not allowed to attend the off-road races and each team is limited to eight people (two drivers, one engineer and five mechanics).
Extreme E has even appointed an independent scientific committee to advise on the series’ education and research programs, event logistics and impact as well as recommending initiatives that support local communities in each race location. F1's Hamilton is the founder of team X44.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/extreme-e-suv-02-ht-iwb-211210_1639151975987_hpEmbed_23x15_384.jpg\")
The constant travel will likely not change in F1, according to Gow, and untapped markets like Africa could be added to the demanding racing schedule in coming years.
\"Races will continue to happen all over the world. F1 is a global sport and appeals to many different markets,\" she said, adding, \"F1 is taking a lot of steps when it comes to reducing its carbon footprint. It has a real sustainability agenda.\"
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Business/formula-popularity-growing-calls-make-sport-sustainable/story?id=81635696","legacySlug":"/news/story/formula-popularity-growing-calls-make-sport-sustainable-81635696","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"13:18","publishDate":"12-11-2021","updatedTime":"14:18","updatedDate":"12-13-2021","socialImage":{"alt":"Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates in the parc ferme after taking pole position in the qualifying session of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 4, 2021.","credit":"Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Business/lewis-hamilton-01-gty-iwb-211210_1639151625841_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/11/2021 13:18:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":81635696,"headline":"Drivers call on F1 to be more 'green'","mediaAssetTitle":"KORN FORMULA ONE ","description":"Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are championing the cause. ","duration":"1:08","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2026/05/260504_abcnl_headlines_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Drivers call on F1 to be more 'green'","description":"Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are championing the cause. ","duration":"1:08","uploadDate":"12-11-2021","publication":"12-11-2021","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2026/05/260504_abcnl_headlines_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2026/05/260504_abcnl_headlines_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/formula-popularity-growing-calls-make-sport-sustainable-81635696"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Drivers call on F1 to be more 'green'","pubTime":"08:18","pubDate":"12-11-2021","modTime":"09:18","modDate":"12-13-2021","taxonomyTags":"none","id":81635696,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Drivers call on F1 to be more 'green'","mediaAssetTitle":"KORN FORMULA ONE ","videoId":81635696,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/formula-popularity-growing-calls-make-sport-sustainable-81635696"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/81635696","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/81635696","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};