The entire world is in the process of change. All major industries have realized that something needs to be done in order to preserve our environment. From tourism and sports to food and energy, every industry is doing its best to make a shift for the better.

One such example is the motorsports industry. Due to the treat that is global warming, it was necessary for the auto racing industry to reduce its emission of carbon dioxide. There were several responses to this new movement and here we will discuss some of them.

The Initial Responses

International Formula Masters series was the first one to respond positively by agreeing to use a petrol-electric hybrid for their 2007 season. Even though one month later they announced that they will in fact use regular fuel, it was an important step towards the recognition of the existing problem. 

Time For New Championships

As it would be impossible to make a change from regular to electric cars so quickly, a solution has been found that can serve the purpose of promoting environmentalism further. FIA or the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile announced a new championship in 2012. The brand new, fully-electrical championship was given the name FIA Formula E Championship. The first championship was held in 2014. 

Although this wasn’t a complete victory, it certainly was one of the most important steps forward. The event was supported by many famous manufacturers like BMW, Jaguar, Audi, Nissan, and Mahindra.

Other Important Events

Three months before FIA decided to address the issue of the effects that the auto racing industry has on the environment, Honda Works Team decided that for the 2007 season they will run a car without any sponsors that had Earth-like colours painted over it. This was a huge recognition of important members of the industry who were willing to address the urgent need for a change. Even though Honda’s move has been received with some cynicism from other members who claimed that doesn’t change the fact that  25 private jets were parked just around the corner, it was still a paramount moment for the environmental movement.  

Another step was taken by FIA in 2013 when they announced their plans to change their V8 engines and use turbocharged V6s.

Moreover, 2007 was also a big year for the open-wheel series. In that season, IndyCar announced that they are working towards the reduction of greenhouse gases. Therefore, they switched from their usual methanol to more eco-friendly ethanol fuel. 

Additionally, in the same year, both Peugeot and Audi made diesel race cars that later competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Even though the German manufacturer won the race, it was a huge victory for both brands in the field of environmentalism.  

Also, the British didn’t want to be left behind on the new trend, so the winner of the British GT Championship was a diesel-powered Aston Martin.

A significant step towards going greener has been made by several European open-wheel championships, like World Series by Renault, that announced its switch to a biofuel.

As one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions, cars have a long way to go until becoming completely eco-friendly. But all of the efforts and changes made by the auto race industry give us hope that we are headed in the right direction.