Formula 1 (F1) has announced its first investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) via a “book and claim” model with DHL, as it aims to reach net zero by 2030.
As the sector and SAF infrastructure is expanding, it is not possible to directly fuel cargo planes used to move freight with SAF, says F1 in a Sept 20 announcement. Hence, the “book and claim” model allows F1 to “book” the required fuel amount via DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, which then gets added to the supply chain in other planes where SAF is directly available.
At purchase, buyers “book” a specified quantity of sustainable fuel and “claim” emissions reductions towards their sustainability objectives, acquiring environmental benefits without physically possessing the fuel.
The first phase of F1’s investment began in March with SAF purchases through DHL for air cargo to the Australian Grand Prix. As at the Singapore Grand Prix, approximately 20% of subsequent F1 cargo flights to races outside of Europe this year have been scheduled to use DHL’s GoGreen Plus service with SAF.
That said, F1’s ESG head Ellen Jones declined to reveal the investment sum.
From 2026, F1 cars will run on 100% sustainable fuel, while Formula 2 and Formula 3 will reach that standard by next season, having been at 55% since the start of 2023 in partnership with Aramco. In addition, the FIA Safety and Medical cars currently use 40% sustainable fuel.
See also: UOB partners DHL to scale sustainable aviation fuel use for international shipments
‘Rationalising’ the race calendar
Apart from switching to sustainable fuels, Jones mentioned how the championship organiser is “rationalising” the race calendar “to decrease the distance from point A to point B, which equates to lower carbon emissions”.
In 2023, the Grands Prix in Azerbaijan, Japan and Qatar took place in April, September and October respectively. This year, the Grands Prix in Azerbaijan, Japan and Qatar were shifted to September, April and December respectively.
See also: JPMorgan pursues deals to finance shutdown of coal-fired power
“So rationalising the calendar is a key commitment that we have made, and one that we are taking steps to do,” says Jones at a Sept 20 media briefing in Singapore.
This year, the Singapore Grand Prix follows the Azerbaijan race, which took place on Sept 15; and the US race, which is scheduled for Oct 21.
With the Australian, Japanese and Chinese races scheduled in succession this year between March and April, does the championship organiser hope to shift Singapore’s race closer to the first half of the race calendar?
“I think it is about how it all fits together… When you move one piece of the puzzle, another shifts,” says Jones in response to The Edge Singapore. “So, it’s not quite as straightforward as moving things, because you have things like climate [and] elements such as holidays; and once you add those types of pieces together, you will get a different calendar.”
Jones adds: “I won’t make any guesses in terms of things moving because that would probably be a headline… It’s really about how we look at the calendar as a whole, and how we balance these factors and then, with our calendar, apply the appropriate logistics solution.”
GoGreen Plus
Launched by DHL Global Forwarding in 2022, the GoGreen Plus service uses the “book and claim” system by using sustainable fuels in air and ocean freight, allowing customers to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their freight volumes, even when their shipments are not.
DHL has been F1’s official logistics partner for 20 years. DHL began using biofuel-powered trucks during the European leg of the 2023 F1 season, and as of February this year, 37 DHL trucks are running on biofuel.
In February, DHL renewed its partnership with F1 for a “multi-year extension”. In July, DHL and United Overseas Bank U11 (UOB) agreed to “co-invest” in SAF for UOB’s international parcel deliveries under the GoGreenPlus service.
