How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector

In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...

Updated Jun 21, 2022, 1:17 PM

There’s a quite a few pages in the calendar left to turn until Formula 1’s plans for a powertrain overhaul for 2026 come to pass, but it’s undoubtedly worth thinking about now. As motorsport moves towards a crossroads, F1 must choose its own fate and consider its place in the wider automotive world – which is due its own seismic shift within the next 20 years.

The plan remains for F1 to introduce completely sustainable fuels for the 2026 season, in its efforts to become far more relevant to the changes prevalent within the automotive industry. In short, that means the fuel is going to be derived from biological sources and developed by the petrochemicals companies involved within the championship to ensure its performance points meet the demands of the world’s most powerful racing cars.

comments

Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.