Mercedes F1 team to go carbon neutral by end of 2020 season

Mercedes says that it will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to use of renewable energy where possible, including at its factories in Brixworth and Brackley.

Currently, the team generates around 20,000 tonnes of CO2 that it aims to offset by using of “gold standard” offsetting schemes.

The team already uses renewable energy at its chassis factory in Brackley though its intentions to cut down on emissions will include changing how it operates at races.

Single-use plastics will no longer be used by the team’s catering teams along with the hotel stays converted to be low-impact for all team members.

“The entire automotive industry is in the middle of a massive change and Daimler very much leads the way in taking responsibility for sustainable mobility”, team principal Toto Wolff said.

“We represent the three-pointed star on the racetrack, and we want our motorsport platforms to be a case study for the rapid and open-minded implementation of innovations for a more sustainable future.

“That goes from the hybrid and battery electric technology in our race cars, to our daily business practice at the racetrack and in our production facilities. We want to be at the forefront of this change.”

World champion Lewis Hamilton has already converted to a vegan diet as part of his own changes to have less of an environmental impact.

He added that the move was a great move for the future of the team.

“Sustainability is very important to me personally; I’ve become more and more aware of the environmental issues we’re facing around the globe and I just want to have a positive impact and try to play my part in it,” he said.

“I’ve changed to a plant-based diet, I’ve changed the way I travel and started off-setting my flights, and I’ve started to drive both plug-in hybrids and all-electric Mercedes vehicles; I’ve also put sustainability at the heart of other ventures I’m involved in, such as my new clothing collection with Tommy Hilfiger.

“It’s great to see that Mercedes is taking responsibility for sustainability and that the entire Mercedes family is making huge efforts to tackle the issue; I hope I can make a meaningful contribution to that transformation as well.”