Formula One (F1) participation at any level is prohibitively expensive for a carmaker – the cost of cars, infrastructure, drivers and marketing is hundreds of millions of dollars. There’s at least one reason why companies like Honda, Toyota, and even BMW have really grown out of it. This makes the recent announcement by Audi of joining the race a powerful indicator that is just around the corner.
The hugely popular spectator sport, which has been a mainstay of the companies that dominated the ICE-era of vehicles – Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Renault and Ford – is now undergoing massive transformation. F1 rules that have historically been set in stone are starting to loosen. Their new power unit rules, designed to make it easier for newcomers to join, were published a few weeks ago. They allow hybrid power units that drive faster cars on the track to maintain the ICE architecture but with sustainable fuel and more electric power by 2026. All of these rules are integral to Audi’s inclusion in F1.
It’s no secret that historically F1 racing has been a huge emitter of carbon, with dozens of big-engine cars burning an average of over 200 liters of fuel per race, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A report released by F1 a few years ago estimated that each F1 racing season directly and indirectly generated more than 256,000 tons of carbon emissions. This exceeds the production produced by 50,000 cars annually.
While the sport has consistently been under pressure from environmentalists, it was only when F1 champion Lewis Hamilton spoke publicly about the environment in 2019 that the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, motorsport’s governing body) took note And take stock of the status of the announcement, and set standards for addressing sustainability.
But while F1 racing will immediately seem to be an obvious silver bullet to go fully electric, the reality is complicated. Current EV battery technology is not yet advanced enough to provide the required range without charging breaks. A typical F1 race runs at a high energy-consuming speed for around 300-plus kilometres. The operative word, of course, is ‘yet’ as the battery is already getting lighter, and able to store more energy.
Meanwhile, governments around the world are cracking down on gas-powered cars, which means F1 will have to work harder sooner or later on the fuel of their choice. It’s like continuing a bull fight in a city that has been ordained to be vegetarian. The second factor is that the average age of an F1 fan is now 32, down from 37 in 2017, making F1 consumption driven by a digital-first preference, which is great for eyeballs and clicks. However there is also a tendency for the younger audience to be environmentally conscious and driven by the ESG framework.
Back to Audi, which already has test benches at its base in Newburgh for electric motor and battery testing and their ongoing R&D to build better F1 engines that are hybrids. This information will help them further refine their existing mass production EV engines.
Like defense and entertainment, developing technologies in the F1 business are also spreading to the commercial market. Examples include ABS braking, paddle-shift gears (now commonplace), lightweighting and airbags. Most important in recent times has been electrical power from regenerative braking, which draws power from heat and braking but is not a chargeable battery in the traditional EV sense. It is already being used by BEV or battery-electric vehicles such as the latest Honda City in India, for example.
Global automakers will continue to look to motorsport platforms to engage and accelerate the development of new technology. The intense pressure on F1 is making hybrid electric drivetrains the most efficient, clean and powerful in the world, even though they use synthetic fuels. This cannot be enough.
World champion F1 driver Nico Rosberg said earlier this year that F1 may just have to go electric if future rules are to be followed. Other world champions made more radical statements. Grand Prix champion Sebastian Vettel wore a T-shirt that said the Miami Grand Prix would be underwater if changes were not made soon.
F1’s new engines aim to be 100 percent sustainable and carbon-neutral by 2025 and are already the most efficient on the planet. If and when their technology starts to incorporate EV systems with existing hybrid power technology, there’s every reason it will trigger a wider race for the next generation of engines that can be all-electric, or battery-electric-hybrid. but with the same purpose.
The race on the track is between drivers and teams, but Audi’s entry will trigger a drive to make better faster and cleaner engines with alternative power sources that will eventually spread to mainstream production. If in the past F1 led to commercial development focused on safety and performance, here it would have a broader impact: Co2 neutrality and cleaner engines powered by alternative power sources.
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