Could the high octane, petrol head world of F1 really get to net zero by 2030?

Could the high octane, petrol head world of F1 really get to net zero by 2030? ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew explains

“Four years ago I wouldn’t think that’s possible” driver Zhou Guanyu - of Stake Formula One Team Kick Sauber - told me, “now I do think there can be a way.”

One of the reasons he changed his mind is a new fuel.

Not a battery or hydrogen but a carbon neutral gasoline alternative which runs in petrol engines.

Crucially it still allows cars to have the purr and power of a 1000hp combustion engine.

It has been developed by a team in Bicester and is called Zero. To make it they need air, water and electricity generated by renewables.

When burnt it releases the carbon absorbed from the air in the first place back into the atmosphere.

So what’s the catch? Well, for starters it is four times more expensive than petrol.

As a result the fuel is currently being mixed with standard fossil fuels.

Engineers forecast this price to come down as manufacturing ramps up but it is unlikely to be available domestically for at least a decade.

Then there is the wider problem of Formula One’s carbon footprint.

Fuel accounts for less than 1% of the sport’s emissions so even if they replace petrol with a carbon neutral alternative - the target is to do this by 2026 - there are still other huge changes to be made.

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