Working together with PETRONAS and our logistics partners to extend our use of HVO100 biofuel as part of our ambition to achieve a fully biofueled European season.1
We are committed to working towards our ambition to be Net Zero for our race team-controlled emissions by 2030 and are taking bold action to address our largest sources of emissions. Sustainable fuels are key to reducing our impact at track and on the road.
Working with our Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS, we plan to build on our 67% emissions saving achieved in the 2023 European season2 by extending the use of biofuels across the generators which power our trackside hospitality and engineering units. Our team motorhome will be powered exclusively on HVO100, a second-generation biofuel, at all this year’s European races. This will deliver a significant uplift on last season’s savings.
Our fleet of Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks will once again refuel with HVO100 during the European season. Each truck transporting our motorhome and race bases covers between 9,000 to 10,000 km, saving an estimated 90% of CO₂e for every kilometre driven compared to the use of traditional diesel.
Carbon emissions savings will be published at the end of the season once the data from all nine European races have been collected and analysed.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
“Sustainable fuels powering our European season logistics are a key part of our transition plans helping the team and our sport move towards a Net Zero future. We have increased our investment to deliver further efficiencies with the projected emissions reductions reflecting the combined efforts of the team, PETRONAS and our logistics partners. Fuel innovation sits at the heart of the changes coming to our sport in 2026 and I am proud to lead a team so committed to driving sustainable change.”
Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
“We aim to be as sustainable as we can in every area of our operations, looking for efficiencies in every aspect of our performance, including the ways we transport the team’s freight and how we power our operations on track.
“With the ambition of a fully biofueled season in line with our Net Zero commitments, we continue to use data to drive our learning which has enabled us to increase our savings year on year and modify our operations as we learn more about supply and infrastructure variations across the continent and multiple geographies in play.”
Datuk Sazali Hamzah, EVP and Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Downstream
“In addition to working on delivering sustainable fuel for the Formula One cars by 2026, we continue to progress in our efforts to reduce carbon footprint within other parts of the motorsport ecosystem, including travel and logistics. Though these segments of the industry may not be visible to the fans, they demand concerted efforts in reducing emissions.”
“Building on last year’s achievements, we are now expanding the use of HVO100, which represents one of the most feasible solutions and many collaborative efforts to come in powering motorsport closer towards Net Zero whilst showcasing the potential of biofuels to the world’s transportation sector."
Beyond work to lessen the impact of our road-based freight logistics, the team has also led investment into Sustainable Aviation Fuel. In 2022, we were the first team to invest in SAF helping increase our emissions savings related to the air travel of our race team personnel.
Like all industries, we have much to learn. But as pioneers on the racetrack, we can now apply approaches that have driven performance on the track, such as data driven learning and continuous feedback loops, to help us improve our own environmental footprint and to share best practice, supporting and inspiring others to adopt similar practices.
For further information, please visit the Sustainability section of our website
Notes:
1 Ambition for a fully biofueled European season covers the use of biofuel in our race and marketing trucks, generators for our motorhome and paddock equipment, fuel transport and adhoc logistics for car parts.
2Emissions reduction of 67% and 339 tCO₂e saved through biofuel during European season - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (mercedesamgf1.com)
2022 Biofuels Trial
In September 2022, we concluded a trial in the use of HVO100 in 16 of our race trucks for the final three European races. The trial was designed to understand the level of carbon saving achievable, as well as identifying sourcing challenges. Analysis conducted after the trial concluded the use of HVO100 reduced the freight emissions of the trucks by 89%.
2023 Biofuels Rollout
In 2023 we built on the success of our 2022 biofuels trial, significantly increasing our HVO100 usage across the European season. We achieved an emissions reduction of 67% and a saving of 339 tCO₂e for race and hospitality trucks and generators across the 2023 European season. The team’s fleet of trucks travelled 386,000km on HVO100 with every kilometre travelled saving 90% of CO₂ emissions versus traditional diesel.
HVO100 Biofuel
Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO100) fuel is made from 100% sustainably sourced renewable raw materials such as waste oils and fats. The use of HVO100 can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and reduce the impact of freight on local air quality by reducing NOx and particulate emissions. Bioenergy is an important pillar of decarbonisation in the energy transition as a near zero-emission fuel. To get on track with the latest Net Zero scenarios, liquid biofuel consumption will need to quadruple by 2030 with road transport playing a critical role.
Suppliers
The team would like to thank our Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS and our logistics partners for their invaluable support and commitment in supporting our sustainability ambitions.
