CEO Stefano Domenicali doesn't think electric power is the only path forward.
CEO of Formula One, Stefano Domenicali, told the Italian paper Il Sole 24 Ore on Sunday that “F1 will never go electric.” This comes after the sport has taken serious measures in recent years to make itself more environmentally conscious and more in line with what fans and governments around the world are pushing for.
Just last week, the news that “Europe was banning combustion engines starting in 2035” made headlines around the world. Now, the reports of the European combustion engine's demise were greatly exaggerated, since the legislation will allow combustion engines that run off carbon neutral fuel after that point too, but the news still sent shockwaves through the automotive industry around the world.
CEO Domenicali, like many others executives in the industry, sees a lot of this regulation as a hindrance since it treats electric power as if it's the only solution. He feels that, in general, it will hurt normal people that can't afford to purchase an electric car when their ICE vehicle is suddenly outlawed.
To that note, he also believes Formula One will never subscribe to the electric-only mantra, despite the increase of its use in the sport starting in 2026. His goal is one of give and take, staying true to the sport's roots while also finding ways to pollute less, and he makes it clear he's made up his mind on which direction it will move towards instead: “clean, zero-emission petrol”.
He states that this fuel will be able to work in existing engines and even in many different types of vehicles beyond F1. It will allow the sport to keep its analog nature while fixing one of its largest sins, and when the regulations change in three years it will be put to use for the first time.
Now, it is misleading on his part to say the fuel is “zero-emission” when he really means “carbon neutral”. This has been clarified in the past by Ross Brawn, F1's Managing Director, Motorsports, when he said, “we're working on an E fuel where the carbon circle is completely neutral so the carbon utilized to produce that fuel is the same quantity as the carbon emitted from the internal combustion engine. It means that the engines do not add anything to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Porsche just debuted the first use of carbon neutral fuel in a production 911 not too long ago, something that was welcome news to gearheads all around the world. We don't want to lose completely the sensory aspects that have become so dear to our hearts. Thanks to people like Domenicali, it appears Formula One will continue to give us the same auditory excitement for years to come.
Keyword: F1 Boss Says Series Will Never Go Fully Electric