The Multifaceted “Nature” of Motorsport
Looking at Formula One through the lens of sport ecology
Hi there! Welcome to Track Limits, a weekly F1 newsletter where we break down the biggest headlines and explore the questions, topics, and trends that fuel our curiosity. Nothing is off-topic and a little fun is always part of the mix!!
Good evening!! This week, I’m thrilled to introduce the third guest writer for Track Limits’ special feature, Beyond Track Limits — a series where we dive into the topics and trends shaping the sport, with the help of experts and amazing insiders!!
In today’s issue, Jennifer — an environmental researcher in the field of carbon dioxide removal — explores the emerging field of sport ecology and examines the unique challenges Formula One faces in its pursuit of sustainability.
Motorsport, like almost all business enterprises worldwide, has adopted “sustainability” as a key operational goal. Recognition of the threat of climate change is universal – at least among those not deluded by misinformation. International and national agreements working towards mitigation and adaptation have placed both legal and social pressures on businesses of all kinds, including sports, to cut their environmental impacts.
It’s relevant to note that the term “sustainability” often refers to a variety of operational aspects, like DEI and outreach. In fact, many environmental researchers criticize the use of the term because of its vague definition. But nevertheless, “sustainability” has become the buzzword defining how organizations affect the environment and how they can decrease those effects going forward.
Motorsports have already begun the push towards increasing their sustainability. The FIA, which governs many high-profile series, has set roadmaps for its vision of sustainability. Individual series have set their own sustainability goals, perhaps the most prominent of which is F1’s Net Zero by 2030 plan, which was first announced in 2019. And individual teams across series have their own internal sustainability reporting expectations.
Beyond goal-setting and governance structures, the technical fabric of motorsport has begun to evolve beyond fossil fuels. Formula E, the first all-electric motorsport series, was conceived in 2011 to be a series that avoided the carbon emissions of other series. Hybrid engines, now utilized across multiple series and continents, were introduced to increase efficiency and road-relevance as hybrid passenger cars began to grow in popularity. And now, leading up to 2030, sustainable biofuels and hydrogen fuel cell technologies may be on the table.
Motorsports’ focus on increasing sustainability is not unique amongst sports. In fact, increasing interest in sports’ impact on the environment, and adaptation of sports within a changing climate, has spurred an entirely new academic discipline, “Sport Ecology”.
The goal is to finally bring together disparate fields – like environmental studies, corporate sustainability, business and marketing, human health – into a cohesive effort to analyze the dynamic relationship between sports and the environment. The Sport Ecology Group (SEG), founded in 2019, brings together researchers from around the world to explore how sports and the environment intersect. Topics are incredibly diverse, covering everything from broad sustainability planning and athlete health risks to fan engagement and environmental justice concerns. Whatever the issue, sports ecologists are looking into it — driven by their main mission of understanding how we can apply our knowledge to adapt sports in ways that are in the best interest of competitors, fans, and the environment.
Sport ecology galvanizes us to “imagine if all people understood and supported the environment with the same interest and passion they showed their favorite sports teams.” (SEG)
As I’ve begun to journey into this field, I’ve tried to consider unique challenges and opportunities that motorsport has in this period of change. There are four aspects of motorsport that, in my view, set it apart from other sports – both positively and negatively – in its pursuit of sustainability.
Perfecting Performance in Changing Conditions
Many sports, including motorsport, are intrinsically global, requiring constant travel for competitions. What sets motorsport apart, however, is the added complexity of shipping materials alongside people. In fact, in 2023, F1 reported that 78% of its 2022 carbon footprint was related to global travel, accounting for approximately 173,000 tons of CO2e. But the necessity to improve procedures in this globetrotting scenario is fairly obvious – the sport has to consolidate calendars and shrink team equipment volumes.
What I find more curious to consider is how the rapidly changing global climate may become more burdensome for motorsport than for many other sporting series. For several of the world’s most popular sports – soccer, tennis, cricket – weather can certainly pose a major challenge. Rain-soaked matches may limit competitors, high temperatures may force added breaks in play, and newer fan facilities may be demanded to provide air conditioning or sheltered viewing areas. But for motorsport series, adaptation is much harder to accomplish.
Tracks cover miles of landscape, and while some circuits have adjusted grandstands to include coverings, there’s fairly little to be done for cars on track. Cockpit air conditioning, which was only just trialled this year, can only do so much when drivers are in head-to-toe protective gear. And while rainy conditions can feel like a fun shakeup for at-home viewers, intense rain typically puts a full stop to competitive action.
Even more, changes in climate patterns day-to-day and year-to-year will affect setups and performance levels at racing events. Motorsport is reliant on vast amounts of data and unexpected weather will not only interrupt data gathering prior to races, but will also impact engineering developments that rely on data patterns year-to-year.
Different Parties, Different Predilections
Sport ecology research also includes work aimed at understanding how best to engage fans in sustainability efforts. Sporting events, including some motorsport races, now offer carbon credit purchases or environmental donation opportunities alongside ticket purchases. On-site activations also aim to increase fan attention to environmental initiatives. But the diversity in motorsport audiences creates a major challenge for these types of efforts.
When I was growing up in the United States, “motorsport” was fairly synonymous with conservatism. From a pop culture perspective, you might say that to many Americans, “motorsport” evokes images much closer to the movie Talladega Nights than anything else. And while this reputation doesn’t appropriately capture the complexity and seriousness of any series, it is true that some motorsport series engage much older, conservative audiences than others. European racing series not only attract much younger, progressive fans, but also purposely seek to showcase a wealthier sporting culture.
These extremes in motorsport cultures and their audiences present a challenge for effectively engaging fans from an environmental perspective. On one end, motorsport must figure out how to pursue environmental causes while appeasing older, conservative fan bases who often view sustainable adjustments as “woke” and ruinous. On the other hand, motorsport also needs to engage with younger, more liberal audiences who often contradict their support of sustainability by participating in or idealizing overconsumption and affluence. And yes, this outreach must also include drivers, who inherently play a role in influencing fans, often through instagram pictures from their emission-intensive private jets.
This diversity of motorsports and its audiences is, in my opinion, both fascinating and inspiring. But figuring out how to engage with diverse audiences on issues related to environmental sustainability remains a big hill to climb.
Big Oil Cannot Inspire Big Changes
I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds dark comedy in F1’s sustainability messaging coupled by its increased partnership with middle eastern oil powers. In the past few decades, more and more middle eastern tracks have been added to the calendar, despite comparatively low attendance and despite the region’s human rights indices. You can’t turn on a Grand Prix broadcast without seeing “Aramco” plastered on every surface.
Not to mention that many F1 teams are owned or partially owned by Middle Eastern nations. McLaren F1? Owned by the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain. Aston Martin? Now Aston Martin Aramco. Audi? Already partially owned by the Qatar Investment Fund. There has even been interest from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia to buy the entire series from Liberty Media. Motorsport, like no other sport, is entrenched in big oil.
I often caution people about broadly demonizing Middle Eastern oil giants. At the end of the day, our societies are dependent on oil, and our participation in the global economy supports and sustains both North American and Middle Eastern petroleum powers. But Formula One cannot continue to increase its direct associations with monarchies so insistent on perpetuating both fossil fuel economies and human rights violations – not if the sport ever wants to be taken seriously for its sustainability efforts.
The consumptive nature of the sport and its stakeholders can make it challenging to feel optimistic about its ability to become more environmentally aligned.
Guenther Steiner, the famous ex-team principle of Haas F1, wrote in his book that F1’s sustainability goals had “helped the sport develop a conscience”. Its Middle Eastern alliances don’t spark much confidence in that conscience.
Formula One, and motorsport on the whole, has to begin to dig itself out of Middle Eastern oil partnerships. By continuing these associations, the sport signals that it’s willing to compromise its character and innovation in exchange for a fat check. Just take the lawsuit against Aramco’s greenwashing as an example - imparting sustainability alongside oil sponsors will only move them further away from their business goals, and well-intentioned initiatives. Motorsport has to learn to tune out the lobbying of companies that rely on its stagnancy. Otherwise, it may be buried and fossilized itself as environmentalism takes precedence.
Technology Transcends
What sets motorsport ecology apart from that of other sports is its technology. Yes, other sports use tech for gear, equipment, and facilities, but no other sport revolves around engineered machinery to the same extent. While the materials and manufacturing processes in motorsport have greater environmental impact than equipment required in other sports, they also make the sport a breeding ground for engineering innovation.
Motorsport teams employ and foster incredible levels of engineering expertise, and a key goal of the sport is to drive innovation in ways that can be transferred to road cars and other industries. Things like paddle shifters, active suspensions, even rearview mirrors, were pioneered in motorsport. The main focus of the new fueling systems, for example, is to leverage the sport’s deep pockets and data gathering capabilities to push new technology onto more scalable trajectories. This emphasis on technological innovation, and the ramifications of those innovations, make motorsport a unique case study in sport ecology.
Food for Thought
I’ll admit that as an environmental researcher, I frequently find myself feeling guilty for loving motorsport. Indeed, the consumptive nature of the sport and its stakeholders can make it challenging to feel optimistic about its ability to become more environmentally aligned. But we don’t live in a world where environmental impact results in a cease of operations. And so I think it is worthwhile to direct the passion we have for the sport towards understanding its ecology, and embracing the challenges and opportunities it presents for adapting into the future.
Jennifer Kroeger is a PhD candidate in environmental science. Her current research focuses on assessing carbon dioxide removal strategies, with a focus on enhanced weathering. As a motorsports fan, she enjoys connecting her research to sporting. Jennifer collects environmentally-relevant motorsport news under the cross-platform username Formula Climate.
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