Logistics
Transporting cars, equipment, and infrastructure between 24 global venues, often under tight time constraints that favour air freight.
ESG / CSR
Industries
MEASURE
ACT
COMFORM
Formula 1: What’s the Real Carbon Footprint of Racing?
Level
Disclaimer: The estimates and comparisons presented in this article are based on publicly available sustainability reports from Formula 1, media coverage, and recognised emissions factors (including ADEME and Carbon Trust data). Where official figures were unavailable - such as spectator travel emissions - we’ve used reasonable assumptions and proxy data (eg. distance-based flight factors and audience estimates) to illustrate the approximate scale of emissions linked to racing events.
These numbers are intended to provide context and insight, not to serve as definitive measurements. Real-world emissions will vary depending on factors such as travel mode, grid mix, event logistics, and fan behaviour. As Formula 1’s sustainability data and methodologies evolve, figures may be updated in future reports.
Formula 1 is a sport built on speed, spectacle, and scale. In a single season, it moves thousands of people and tonnes of equipment across five continents, stages 24 high-intensity race weekends, and draws in more than six million fans trackside - not to mention hundreds of millions more watching from home. It’s also a sport that runs on roaring engines, private jets, and round-the-clock logistics. So when Formula 1 says it’s on track to reach net zero by 2030, it’s fair to pause and ask: Is this really possible?
Over the past few years, F1 has made genuine progress. Reported emissions are down 26% compared with 2018, even as the calendar has expanded and the fanbase has grown. Behind the scenes, the sport has overhauled how it moves freight, powers race weekends, and flies staff and equipment around the world. But those headline figures only tell part of the story, and they leave some big questions unanswered, particularly when it comes to what happens beyond the paddock.
👉 In this data story, we take a data-driven look at Formula 1’s carbon footprint - where emissions actually come from, how much progress the sport has really made, and what’s still missing from the picture when it comes to reaching net zero.
Why Formula 1’s carbon footprint matters
Formula 1 isn’t just a sport, it’s a travelling mega-production. In the 2024 season, the championship spanned 24 races across five continents, from Melbourne to Miami, Monaco to São Paulo. Over the course of the year, millions of fans passed through grandstands, entire paddocks were rebuilt and dismantled every few weeks, and huge volumes of freight, cars, broadcast equipment, and personnel were flown, shipped, or trucked around the world on a tightly choreographed schedule.
The scale has only grown in recent years. Trackside attendance now exceeds 6.5 million people per season, the global fanbase has climbed past 800 million, and the calendar has expanded by three races compared with 2018. All of this makes Formula 1 an important case study for climate impact. If a sport this global, this logistically complex, and this commercially intense can meaningfully reduce its emissions, it sends a powerful signal about what’s possible elsewhere.
At the same time, Formula 1 sits at the centre of a real tension. Growth is core to the sport’s business model, but growth almost always brings higher emissions. That’s why F1’s net zero by 2030 commitment attracts so much attention and scrutiny. Understanding whether that goal is realistic means looking beyond the cars on track and into the less visible systems that keep the championship moving week after week.
What Formula 1 actually reports and what it doesn’t
When Formula 1 talks about its carbon footprint, it’s referring to a clearly defined set of emissions, not the entire climate impact of the sport. That distinction matters.
In its latest Sustainability Update, published in 2025 and covering the 2024 season, Formula 1 reports a total carbon footprint of 168,720 tonnes of CO₂e. This figure is calculated using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and reflects a market-based approach, meaning emissions are adjusted to account for renewable electricity sourcing and Sustainable Aviation Fuel certificates where applicable.
So what’s included in that number? Quite a lot. The reported footprint covers emissions from Formula 1 Group operations, all ten teams, race promoters, logistics providers, and key suppliers. It spans everything from freight and staff travel to factories, facilities, and on-site event operations across the full 24-race calendar. In other words, it captures the emissions that Formula 1 can meaningfully influence through how the sport is run.
But just as important is what’s not included.
The official figures exclude spectator travel, along with accommodation and food during race weekends, fan merchandise and its supply chains, and emissions linked to third-party broadcasting and digital viewing. These sources fall outside Formula 1’s operational control, which is why they don’t appear in the headline total.
This isn’t unusual; most organisations draw similar boundaries when reporting emissions. But in a sport watched by hundreds of millions and attended by more than six million fans a year, those exclusions are far from trivial. To understand Formula 1’s full climate impact, it’s essential to look not only at what’s reported, but also at what sits just beyond the official carbon ledger.
Where do Formula 1’s emissions come from?
Given Formula 1’s image, it’s easy to assume the cars are the problem. Roaring engines, burning fuel, high speeds - surely that’s where most of the emissions sit? In reality, it’s almost the opposite.
According to Formula 1’s own reporting, less than 1% of the sport’s total carbon footprint comes from the cars on track. Modern F1 power units are already among the most efficient hybrid engines in the world. From a carbon perspective, the racing itself barely moves the needle.
So where do the emissions come from?
In the 2024 season, Formula 1 reported total emissions of 168,720.00 tCO₂e, broken down as follows:
Travel
Flights for teams, staff, officials, and media moving around the world throughout the season.
Factories & facilities
Energy used at team factories, offices, and technical centres.
Event operations
Powering race weekends, including paddocks, pit lanes, broadcast compounds, and temporary infrastructure.
Power unit emissions
Fuel burned by the cars during races and sessions.
Average emissions per race = 168,720.00 tCO₂e ÷ 24 Grands Prix = 7,030.00 tCO₂e per race
Put simply, 73% of Formula 1’s reported emissions come from logistics and travel alone. The sport’s carbon challenge isn’t about slowing cars down or dulling the spectacle; it’s about how a truly global championship moves people and equipment around the world, week after week.
| Metric | Figure | Key observation |
|---|---|---|
|
Total reported emissions
|
168,720 tCO₂e | Covers F1 operations, teams, promoters, logistics, travel, and event operations. |
|
Number of races
|
24 | A record-length calendar increases logistical complexity. |
|
Average emissions per race
|
7,030 tCO₂e | Each race weekend carries a substantial operational footprint. |
|
Logistics emissions
|
61,555 tCO₂e (37%) | Largest single emissions source. |
|
Travel emissions
|
59,841 tCO₂e (36%) | Nearly equal to logistics, driven largely by air travel. |
|
Factories & facilities
|
24,263 tCO₂e (14%) | Sharp reductions achieved via renewable electricity. |
|
Event operations
|
23,060 tCO₂e (13%) | Emissions per race are falling despite calendar growth. |
|
Power unit emissions
|
<1% | The cars themselves contribute a negligible share. |
|
Spectator travel
|
Not included | A major emissions source outside the official footprint. |
Has Formula 1 actually reduced emissions?
Formula 1 launched its sustainability strategy in 2019, setting itself an ambitious goal: to cut absolute emissions by 50% by 2030, against a 2018 baseline. That target has only become more challenging over time. Since 2018, the calendar has expanded, race attendance has surged, and the sport’s global fanbase has grown by 63% - all factors that would normally push emissions higher, not lower.
Yet despite this growth, Formula 1’s reported carbon footprint has moved in the opposite direction.
According to Formula 1’s latest sustainability reporting, total emissions for the 2024 season stood at 168,720 tCO₂e, down from a re-baselined 2018 total of 228,793 tCO₂e. That represents an absolute reduction of 26.27%, achieved while expanding from 21 races in 2018 to 24 races in 2024.
Year-on-year Formula 1 emissions:
| Year | Total emissions (tCO₂e) | Context / notes | Change vs 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2018
|
228,793 | Re-baselined reference year (pre-strategy). | - |
|
2019
|
256,551 | Strategy launched; pre-re-baselining. | +12.11%* |
|
2020
|
- | COVID-19 season (17 races); no official total reported. | - |
|
2021
|
- | Calendar expanded (22 races); methodology evolving. | - |
|
2022
|
223,031 | Full calendar; efficiency measures begin. | ↓ 2.52% |
|
2023
|
182,801 | Major efficiency gains; SAF introduced. | ↓ 20.11% |
|
2024
|
168,720 | 24-race season; re-baselined reporting. | ↓ 26.27% |
* The 2019 figure is included for context. Emissions reductions are calculated relative to Formula 1’s re-baselined 2018 emissions, which serve as the official reference year for its net zero target.
Despite an initial uptick in emissions in 2019, the overall trend since the strategy’s launch is clear. Between 2018 and 2024, Formula 1 reduced its annual reported emissions by 60,073 tCO₂e (a 26% reduction), even as the sport grew in scale, reach, and complexity. In practical terms, emissions per race have fallen, and operational efficiency has improved across logistics, travel, facilities, and event energy.
This matters because it shows that decoupling growth from emissions is possible, even for a sport as global and logistics-heavy as Formula 1. But the data also points to the limits of progress so far. Logistics and travel still account for 73% of total reported emissions, meaning that deeper reductions will depend on continued investment in low-carbon freight, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and more regionally efficient race scheduling.
In other words, the trajectory is moving in the right direction, but the hardest part of the journey still lies ahead.
What has Formula 1 done to cut emissions so far?
Since launching its sustainability strategy in 2019, Formula 1 has focused its efforts where the emissions are actually concentrated: logistics, travel, and energy use across facilities and race operations. That focus has paid off. By the end of the 2024 season, reported emissions were 26.27% lower than in 2018, despite a longer calendar and record attendance.
So what’s driven those reductions?
⚡ 1. Transition to renewable energy at factories and facilities
Emissions from factories and facilities have fallen by 59% since 2018.
This has largely been driven by the transition to renewable electricity across Formula 1 and team sites.
On-site efficiency upgrades have also helped lower energy demand.
Because factories and facilities once represented a significant share of the footprint, this has been one of the most decisive and reliable sources of emissions reduction.
✈️ 2. Lower-carbon travel and remote operations
Business travel emissions have fallen by 25% compared with 2018.
A key factor has been the increased use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), alongside more efficient flight planning.
Formula 1 has also expanded remote broadcast operations, with around 140 personnel now working from the UK Media & Technology Centre each race weekend.
Fewer people travelling means fewer flights, creating a relatively simple change with measurable impact.
🚚 3. Cleaner logistics and freight
Freight remains the single largest emissions source, but it is also an area where incremental gains add up.
Since 2018, logistics emissions have fallen by 9%.
This reduction has been driven by biofuel-powered trucks in Europe, redesigned freight containers compatible with more efficient aircraft, and improved planning.
Better coordination helps reduce unnecessary shipments and avoidable air miles.
🔋 4. Greener race operations
Race-weekend energy has been another major focus area.
Low-carbon energy systems, including HVO biofuel, solar panels, and battery storage, were trialled in 2023 and expanded to three races in 2024.
These systems are being rolled out across all European Grands Prix from 2025.
As a result, event-energy emissions at European races are expected to fall by over 90%, while emissions per race are already 12% lower than in 2018.
♻️ 5. Materials, waste, and incremental efficiencies
Smaller operational changes have also contributed to the overall decline.
Efforts include reducing single-use plastics, improving waste segregation, and sourcing more sustainable materials.
One example is the use of FSC-certified tyres.
Individually these measures are modest, but collectively they reinforce the long-term downward trend.
Taken together, these initiatives explain how Formula 1 reduced its reported annual emissions from 228,793 tCO₂e in 2018 to 168,720 tCO₂e in 2024 - a cut of 60,073 tCO₂e achieved without shrinking the sport.
What Formula 1 plans to do next
Formula 1 is now turning its attention to the hardest-to-decarbonise parts of its footprint.
Key next steps include:
100% sustainable fuels by 2026
All Formula 1 cars will run on advanced sustainable fuels produced from renewable or waste-based feedstocks.
Further calendar regionalisation
The race calendar is being reorganised to reduce long-haul freight movements, with more geographically clustered race blocks.
Greater use of sea and low-carbon freight
Increased reliance on sea freight, biofuel trucks, and SAF for air transport aims to tackle logistics emissions, still the sport’s largest source.
Expanded use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Formula 1 and its teams are scaling up the use of SAF certificates and direct SAF purchases across flights throughout the decade.
Zero-emission event operations
The goal is fully renewable-powered race weekends, supported by on-site generation, energy storage, and cleaner grid connections.
Residual carbon removals
Any remaining emissions after deep reductions will be addressed through verified carbon removal projects, though Formula 1 emphasises that reductions come first, offsets last.
The missing emissions
Formula 1 has made clear and measurable progress in reducing the emissions it directly controls. However, the official total for the 2024 season (168,720 tCO₂e) reflects only a defined operational boundary and leaves out several sources of emissions that sit beyond day-to-day race operations but are nonetheless integral to how the sport functions and is experienced.
With more than 6.5 million fans attending races each year, a global media presence, and a vast consumer ecosystem surrounding every Grand Prix, these unaccounted-for emissions are unlikely to be marginal. While they fall outside Formula 1’s formal reporting scope, from a life-cycle perspective, they form part of the sport’s wider environmental footprint.
What’s excluded from Formula 1’s reported carbon footprint:
Travel to and from races (cars, trains, flights)
Accommodation, food, and hospitality linked to race weekends
Fan merchandise and associated supply chains
Digital engagement, including broadcasting and online streaming
These emissions are harder to measure, less directly controlled by Formula 1, and therefore absent from official sustainability totals. But understanding their scale is essential to assessing whether Formula 1’s net zero ambition reflects the full reality of the sport’s global impact.
Travel to and from races
Formula 1 has made measurable progress in reducing the emissions it directly controls. But one major source of carbon remains largely invisible in the official figures: spectator travel. With more than 6.5 million fans attending races each season, how people get to and from Grands Prix has the potential to outweigh many of the operational gains made elsewhere. While these emissions sit outside Formula 1’s formal reporting boundary, they are an essential part of the sport’s real-world climate impact.
To explore the emissions gap left by spectator travel, we analysed the 2023 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne - the only Formula 1 race for which a public breakdown of local, interstate, and international spectators is available.
Over the race weekend, the event attracted 444,631 attendees, including:
8,811 international visitors
72,176 interstate visitors (from other Australian states)
363,600 local attendees from within Victoria
International spectators
To reflect uncertainty around where international spectators travel from, we modelled two scenarios: a conservative lower bound and a more realistic regionally weighted case.
Scenario 1: Minimum bound
In this scenario, we assume that all international spectators fly from Auckland, New Zealand, the closest major international hub to Melbourne. This represents a minimum plausible estimate for international travel emissions.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
|
One-way distance
|
2,640 km |
|
Round-trip distance
|
5,280 km |
|
Emission factor
|
0.167 kg CO₂e / passenger-km (ADEME) – economy class |
|
Emissions per spectator
|
5,280 × 0.167 = 881.76 kg CO₂e (~0.88 t) |
|
Total (8,811 spectators)
|
8,811 × 0.88 = 7,769.19 t CO₂e |
Even under this assumption, international travel alone generates around 7,770 tonnes of CO₂e - equivalent to the annual emissions of roughly 1,689 passenger cars (based on 4.6 tCO₂e per car per year).
Scenario 2: Regionally weighted
In reality, international spectators at the Australian Grand Prix are likely to come from a wide range of long-haul markets. Rather than over-weighting any single region, this scenario assumes an equal split (33.33% each) between three major regions that represent Formula 1’s global fanbase:
Asia-Pacific – Tokyo Haneda Airport
Europe / Africa / Middle East – Dubai International Airport
North & South America – Atlanta International Airport
Distances shown below are one-way and doubled to reflect return travel. A long-haul economy flight emission factor of 0.15 kg CO₂e per passenger-km is applied throughout (ADEME).
| Region | Representative airport | Round-trip distance (km) | Emissions per spectator (kg CO₂e) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Asia-Pacific
|
Tokyo Haneda | 16,247.80 | 2,437.17 |
|
Europe / ME / Africa
|
Dubai | 23,273.60 | 3,491.04 |
|
Americas
|
Atlanta | 31,182.80 | 4,677.42 |
Using an equal regional weighting, the average emissions equal
3,535.21 kg CO₂e (3.54 t) per international spectator.
Applied to 8,811 international attendees, total international travel emissions reach:
31,148.74 t CO₂e.
Applied to 8,811 international attendees, total international travel emissions reach:
31,148.74 t CO₂e.
Note: This estimate remains conservative. It assumes economy-class travel only, despite the fact that a proportion of spectators are likely to fly business or first class, which can generate more than 3 times the emissions per passenger.
Interstate spectators
For interstate visitors, we used Sydney to Melbourne as a representative domestic route - Australia’s busiest air corridor. Given the distance (713 km one way) and travel time (~1.5 hours by air, ~9 hours by car), it’s reasonable to assume most interstate spectators fly.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
|
Round-trip distance
|
1,426 km |
|
Emission factor
|
0.151 kg CO₂e / passenger-km (UK Government GHG Conversion Factors) |
|
Emissions per spectator
|
1,426 × 0.151 = 215.326 kg CO₂e |
|
Total (72,176 spectators)
|
72,176 × 215.326 / 1,000 = 15,541.37 t CO₂e |
These figures are a rough estimation and rely on a lot of assumptions, but they show how audience travel, even within one country, can add up to a significant carbon footprint.
Local spectators
For local fans (around 82% of attendees), reliable data on modes of transport and distances of travel isn’t available. But because Albert Park race circuit is located within central Melbourne (with over 5 million residents), it’s likely that a large portion of local attendees are travelling from within the wider metropolitan area.
To calculate the potential emissions from local spectator travel, we used a 16 km round trip as a conservative estimate, roughly equivalent to a twenty-minute tram journey from the city centre to the F1 race track. Using this distance, we modelled two simple scenarios:
🚋 Scenario 1: Public transport (tram)
Average round-trip distance: 10 miles (≈ 16.09 km)
Emission factor (tram): 0.065468 kgCO₂e / passenger-km (EPA Scope 2 & 3)
Per person: 16.09 × 0.065468 = 1.053 kg CO₂e (≈ 1.05 kg)
Total: 363,600 × 1.053 / 1,000 = 383.01 t CO₂e (≈ 383.0 t)
🚗 Scenario 2: Car travel
Average round-trip distance: 10 miles (≈ 16.09 km)
Emission factor (car): 0.18 kgCO₂e / km (ADEME)
Per person: 16.09 × 0.18 = 2.90 kg CO₂e
Total: 363,600 × 2.90 = 1,053.06 t CO₂e
If we assume a third scenario where there is a 50:50 split between car and tram use, local travel emissions would sit at around 718 tCO₂e – roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of about 156 passenger cars (based on 4.6 tCO₂e per car per year).
Combined estimate: spectator travel (Australian GP)
| Category | Estimated emissions |
|---|---|
|
International (scenario 1)
|
7,769.19 t CO₂e |
|
Interstate (Sydney scenario)
|
15,541.37 t CO₂e |
|
Local
|
718.08 t CO₂e |
|
Total
|
24,028.64 t CO₂e (≈ 24,029 t) |
| Category | Estimated emissions |
|---|---|
|
International (scenario 2)
|
31,148.74 t CO₂e |
|
Interstate (Sydney scenario)
|
15,541.37 t CO₂e |
|
Local
|
718.08 t CO₂e |
|
Total
|
47,408.19 t CO₂e (≈ 47,408 t) |
What this tells us
Even using a minimum-bound estimate and including only limited local travel, spectator transport at a single race could generate around 24,029 tonnes of CO₂e – equivalent to roughly 14% of F1’s total annual operational footprint.
These findings highlight a major blind spot: spectator-related emissions. Addressing them through low-carbon mobility, public transport incentives, and regional travel planning will be essential to building a truly sustainable future for the sport. F1 could also consider more innovative approaches, such as limiting spectator numbers or prioritising tickets for local fans.
Scaling spectator travel across a full Formula 1 season
The Australian Grand Prix provides a useful reference point for understanding how spectator-related emissions can accumulate. But it is just one race in a 24-race calendar, and it would be misleading to simply multiply its footprint across the entire season.
To move from a single-event case study to a season-wide estimate, we applied a transparent, data-led approach using actual attendance figures for the 2023 Formula 1 season, combined with the only publicly available breakdown of spectator origin (from the Australian Grand Prix).
Note: For season-wide estimates, international spectator emissions are calculated using Scenario 2 (regionally weighted long-haul travel), as Scenario 1 represents a lower bound specific to Melbourne.
Step 1: Total attendance across the 2023 season
According to Formula 1, total weekend attendance across all Grands Prix in 2023 was 6,150,000 spectators. Publicly reported weekend attendance figures are available for 22 of the 24 races. The remaining two races - Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi - were allocated the remaining attendance evenly to reconcile with the season total.
This preserves the overall scale of attendance while avoiding speculation about individual race figures.
Step 2: Applying a spectator origin split
The Australian Grand Prix is the only race for which a breakdown of spectator origin is publicly available. Over the race weekend, attendance was split as follows:
International spectators: 1.98%
Domestic (non-local) spectators: 16.23%
Local / regional spectators: 81.78%
In the absence of comparable data for other races, this split was applied uniformly across the 2023 season as a proxy.
This assumption does not imply that every race has the same audience profile as Melbourne. Instead, it provides an order-of-magnitude estimate of how spectator-related emissions scale across a full season when long-haul, domestic, and local travel are all taken into account.
Applied to the full season, this results in an estimated:
| Category | Calculation | Estimated spectators |
|---|---|---|
|
International (scenario 2)
|
6,150,000 × 1.98% | 121,871 |
|
Domestic (non-local)
|
6,150,000 × 16.23% | 998,316 |
|
Local / regional
|
6,150,000 × 81.78% | 5,029,204 |
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
Step 3: Emissions modelling assumptions
To estimate emissions linked to spectator travel, we applied the same parameters used in the Australian Grand Prix analysis:
International spectators
Long-haul return flights, using a regionally balanced distance proxy and an economy-class emission factor of 0.15 kg CO₂e per passenger-kilometre (ADEME).
Domestic spectators
Return domestic flights, based on a representative short-haul distance and a flight emission factor of 0.151 kg CO₂e per passenger-kilometre (UK Government GHG Conversion Factors).
Local spectators
Short-distance travel within metropolitan areas, modelled using a conservative average distance and a mixed modal split (public transport and car).
Note: All figures should be read as illustrative estimates, not precise measurements.
Total estimated spectator travel emissions (2023 season):
| Spectator category | Estimated spectators (2023) | Emissions per spectator (t CO₂e) | Total emissions (t CO₂e) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
International spectators
|
121,871 | 3.53521 | 430,700.67 |
|
Domestic (non-local) spectators
|
998,316 | 0.21533 | 214,964.73 |
|
Local / regional spectators
|
5,029,204 | 0.00198 | 9,934.67 |
|
Total
|
6,149,391 | — | 655,600.07 t CO₂e |
Key takeaways:
✈️ Spectator travel is not a marginal source of emissions
When scaled across the full 2023 season, spectator travel is estimated to generate approximately 655,600 t CO₂e.
This estimate remains conservative because it excludes accommodation, food, and non-economy flights.
📊 This exceeds Formula 1’s reported operational footprint by a wide margin
Formula 1’s most recent sustainability reporting puts total operational emissions at 168,720.00 t CO₂e for the 2024 season.
On a like-for-scale basis, estimated spectator travel emissions are therefore nearly 4 times higher than the emissions currently captured in official totals.
⚙️ Operational progress and total impact are not the same thing
Formula 1 has demonstrably reduced the emissions it directly controls.
However, these reductions operate within a boundary that excludes how millions of fans travel to experience the sport.
That omission can materially change the overall emissions picture.
🌍 Small percentages scale into large impacts at Formula 1’s size
Even with international spectators accounting for just 1.98% of total attendance, long-haul air travel dominates the footprint.
This shows how, at global scale, relatively small shares of high-emissions activity can outweigh broad efficiency gains elsewhere.
🎯 Net zero claims depend on where the boundary is drawn
Whether Formula 1 can meaningfully reach its net zero ambition depends not only on continued operational decarbonisation.
It also depends on how the sport engages with emissions beyond its formal reporting scope, particularly those driven by audience behaviour.
What this approach does, and does not, show
This season-wide model is designed to answer a specific question: How large could spectator travel emissions be, relative to Formula 1’s reported operational footprint, when scaled across a full calendar?
It does not attempt to:
model each race individually
reflect the exact travel behaviour of fans at every Grand Prix
account for business-class flights, multi-leg journeys, or extended tourism
As a result, the estimates presented here should be understood as conservative and directional.
What they do show, however, is that even when using cautious assumptions and limited data, spectator-related emissions have the potential to materially alter the picture of Formula 1’s overall climate impact, particularly at a season-wide level.
It should also be noted that where season-wide spectator emissions are compared to Formula 1’s operational footprint, we use the most recent reported operational data (2024) alongside 2023 attendance data, which is the latest season with a complete publicly available attendance record.
Fan travel: why your individual choices matter
Because a large share of Formula 1’s wider environmental impact comes from spectator travel, the decisions fans make about where and how they attend races play an important role in shaping the sport’s total footprint. To show just how much these individual fan choices can impact the sport's overall environmental impacts, we’ve modelled three travel scenarios for a fan living in London attending different Grand Prix events: one domestic, one within Europe, and one long-haul.
| Trip | Mode | Round-trip distance | Emission factor | Estimated emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Silverstone (British GP)
|
Petrol car | 125 km | 0.18 kgCO₂e / km (ADEME) | 22.50 kg CO₂e (0.023 t) |
|
Monaco (via Nice)
|
Short-haul flight | 2,080 km | 0.151 kgCO₂e / passenger-km (UK Government GHG Conversion Factors) | 314.08 kg CO₂e (0.314 t) |
|
Singapore
|
Long-haul flight | 21,776 km | 0.15 kgCO₂e / passenger-km (ADEME) | 3,266.40 kg CO₂e (3.27 t) |
These results show just how much a fan’s travel footprint can fluctuate depending on the race they choose. A weekend drive to Silverstone has a relatively small impact, but flying to Monaco generates around 14 times more emissions, and a long-haul flight to Singapore nearly 150 times more.
Monaco is also one of F1’s most internationally attended races, meaning that in reality, fan travel to this single event could easily surpass the emissions from running several race weekends combined.
Note: These figures represent return travel only and do not include local transport, accommodation, or other activities, so the real footprint would be even higher.
Accommodation: the emissions that build up overnight
Once spectators arrive at a Grand Prix, emissions don’t stop at the circuit gates. Accommodation is one of the most immediate and unavoidable sources of additional emissions linked to race weekends - particularly for fans travelling from outside the host region.
How long do spectators stay?
A Formula 1 Grand Prix runs over three days (Friday to Sunday), but attendance is not evenly spread across the weekend. Friday generally attracts smaller, more local crowds, while Saturday and especially Sunday see the highest attendance. As a result, most non-local spectators attend at least two days of the event and stay multiple nights.
For this analysis, we apply a conservative stay of three nights for:
international spectators, and
domestic (out-of-state) spectators.
Local spectators are assumed not to require overnight accommodation and are therefore excluded from this estimate.
Emissions per hotel night
Hotel emissions vary significantly depending on the level of service, energy use, and facilities offered. Based on available emissions factors for hotels in Australia, average emissions per room night are estimated as follows:
3-star hotel: 36.4 kg CO₂e per room night
4-star hotel: 43.1 kg CO₂e per room night
5-star hotel: 62.4 kg CO₂e per room night
Sources: UK GHG Conversion Factors 2025; HCMI (Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative)
The difference is material. A night in a 5-star hotel is associated with nearly double the emissions of a 3-star stay, reflecting higher energy demand from larger rooms, climate control, pools, spas, and additional services.
To avoid overstating impacts, we use the 3-star hotel figure as a baseline. But given Formula 1’s strong association with premium travel and hospitality, this should be understood as a lower-bound estimate rather than a reflection of typical accommodation choices across the fanbase.
Applying the assumption
Using this baseline:
Average emissions per spectator (accommodation):
3 nights × 36.4 kg CO₂e = 109.2 kg CO₂e (0.1092 tCO₂e)
Equivalent to 0.1092 tCO₂e per non-local spectator.
3 nights × 36.4 kg CO₂e = 109.2 kg CO₂e (0.1092 tCO₂e)
Equivalent to 0.1092 tCO₂e per non-local spectator.
This figure applies only to spectators who travel from outside the host region and require overnight stays.
Season-wide accommodation emissions
Using the assumptions above:
Emissions per non-local spectator: 0.1092 tCO₂e
Applying this figure to the previously established number of international and domestic (non-local) spectators across the 2023 season results in the following estimate:
| Spectator category | Estimated spectators | Emissions per spectator (tCO₂e) | Total emissions (tCO₂e) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
International
|
121,871 | 0.1092 | 13,310.33 |
|
Domestic (non-local)
|
998,316 | 0.1092 | 109,016.11 |
|
Local / regional
|
— | — | — |
|
Total
|
— | — | 122,326.44 tCO₂e |
Why this matters
Under this scenario assumption, accommodation linked to Formula 1 spectators is estimated to generate over 122,000 tCO₂e per season, and none of this appears in Formula 1’s reported carbon footprint.
For context, this is equivalent to:
around 73% of Formula 1’s reported 2024 operational emissions (168,720 tCO₂e), or
the annual emissions of more than 26,000 passenger cars.
Note: This estimate should be interpreted with caution. It does not account for higher-category hotels, longer stays, energy-intensive amenities, or accommodation linked to teams, sponsors, and corporate hospitality.
At the same time, the calculation assumes one spectator per hotel room. In practice, many attendees travel in pairs or groups and share accommodation, meaning the per-capita accommodation footprint may be somewhat lower than estimated. However, given the scale of total spectator-related emissions, this simplification is unlikely to materially change the overall conclusions.
As with spectator travel, accommodation emissions scale directly with attendance. As Formula 1’s calendar grows and destination races become more prominent, overnight stays become an increasingly material, and currently uncounted, part of the sport’s overall climate impact.
Food and drink: everyday choices that add up
Travel and accommodation dominate the emissions profile of race weekends, but food and drink are another important - and often overlooked - source of climate impact. While the footprint of a single meal is relatively small, Formula 1 compresses millions of meals into a limited number of weekends each year. At that scale, even modest assumptions translate into meaningful emissions.
To avoid double-counting with Formula 1’s reported operational footprint, this section focuses on food and beverage consumption attributable to spectators (i.e. purchases made by attendees). Catering and provisioning within official paddock, hospitality, team, and promoter operations - which may already be captured within Formula 1’s “Event Operations” emissions - are excluded.
This section estimates emissions linked to food consumed as part of attending a Grand Prix, not the net difference versus eating at home. As with other spectator-related estimates, the aim is to understand order-of-magnitude impacts using transparent and conservative assumptions.
Meal assumptions for non-local spectators
As outlined earlier, international and domestic (non-local) spectators are assumed to stay for three nights (Friday to Sunday). For this stay, we apply a deliberately modest meal profile:
3 continental breakfasts
3 lunches
3 dinners
This avoids assuming premium dining, hospitality suites, or particularly carbon-intensive food choices.
Emissions factors used
Continental breakfast: 1.40 kg CO₂e per meal
Average restaurant meal (lunch or dinner): 2.04 kg CO₂e per meal (ADEME)
Continental breakfast: 1.40 kg CO₂e per meal
Average restaurant meal (lunch or dinner): 2.04 kg CO₂e per meal (ADEME)
Note that food-related emissions vary widely depending on diet, venue, and food waste. Meat-heavy meals and alcohol would increase emissions, while plant-based choices would reduce them. These factors should therefore be read as simplified estimates.
Per-spectator food emissions (non-local)
Using the assumptions above:
Breakfasts: 3 × 1.40 = 4.20 kg CO₂e
Lunches and dinners: 6 × 2.04 = 12.24 kg CO₂e
Total per non-local spectator (weekend):
16.44 kg CO₂e, equivalent to 0.01644 tCO₂e
Lunches and dinners: 6 × 2.04 = 12.24 kg CO₂e
Total per non-local spectator (weekend):
16.44 kg CO₂e, equivalent to 0.01644 tCO₂e
Reminder: This applies to international and domestic (non-local) spectators only.
Local spectators: on-site lunches
Local spectators are treated differently to avoid overstating impacts that would likely occur regardless of attendance. While locals may not stay overnight, they typically spend long days at the circuit and purchase food on site (eg. concessions or nearby vendors).
To remain conservative, we assume:
3 days attended (Friday–Sunday)
1 lunch per day
No breakfasts or dinners attributed
This reflects spectator food purchases made during attendance without assigning meals that would likely be eaten at home.
Per-spectator calculation (local):
3 lunches × 2.04 kg CO₂e = 6.12 kg CO₂e
Equivalent to 0.00612 tCO₂e per local spectator.
Equivalent to 0.00612 tCO₂e per local spectator.
Scaling food emissions across the full season
Using the previously established spectator counts for the 2023 season:
International spectators: 121,871
Domestic (non-local) spectators: 998,316
Local / regional spectators: 5,029,204
Season-wide food emissions are estimated as follows:
| Spectator category | Emissions per spectator (tCO₂e) | Total emissions (tCO₂e) |
|---|---|---|
|
International + domestic (non-local)
|
0.01644 | 18,422.44 |
|
Local / regional (on-site spectator lunches only)
|
0.00612 | 30,778.73 |
|
Total food emissions
|
— | 49,201.17 tCO₂e |
What this tells us
Even under deliberately modest assumptions, food consumption linked to spectator attendance is estimated to generate ≈49,201.17 tCO₂e per season.
And it still excludes:
premium hospitality and corporate catering,
alcohol and drinks beyond meals,
food waste,
and food consumed by teams, staff, and media.
As with accommodation and travel, the lesson is consistent: small, everyday consumption choices become climate-relevant when multiplied across millions of spectators and dozens of race weekends.
Bottled water: small items, large-scale impact
Single-use plastic bottles are a useful example of how everyday race-day purchases can accumulate into a measurable emissions source at Formula 1’s scale.
Based on lifecycle assessments of bottled water, a 500 mL plastic bottle averages approximately 82.8 g CO₂e (0.0828 kg CO₂e), accounting for plastic production, bottling, and distribution. This estimate does not include end-of-life waste processing.
Assumption
To remain conservative, we assume:
- One 500 mL bottled water purchased by a spectator per race weekend attendance
Because Formula 1 reports weekend attendance as cumulative entries across days, this assumption scales appropriately with reported figures.
Season-wide calculation:
Total 2023 weekend attendance: 6,150,000
Bottles per attendance: 1
Emissions per bottle: 0.0828 kg CO₂e
Calculation:
6,150,000 × 0.0828 = 509,220 kg CO₂e
(Converted to tonnes: 509.22 tCO₂e)
Estimated bottled water emissions (season-wide): ≈ 509.22 tCO₂e
Bottles per attendance: 1
Emissions per bottle: 0.0828 kg CO₂e
Calculation:
6,150,000 × 0.0828 = 509,220 kg CO₂e
(Converted to tonnes: 509.22 tCO₂e)
Estimated bottled water emissions (season-wide): ≈ 509.22 tCO₂e
Note: This estimate reflects bottles purchased by spectators during attendance. Bottled water supplied as part of official event operations (eg. paddock or hospitality provisioning) may already be included within Formula 1’s operational emissions and is therefore not attributed here.
How to interpret this
On its own, bottled water represents a relatively small share of Formula 1’s overall emissions when compared with flights, accommodation, or food. But it illustrates an important structural point: at the scale of millions of spectators, even single low-impact items become measurable.
And bottled water is just one category. Soft drinks, beer, food packaging, ice, refrigeration, and waste handling are all additional sources that are not captured here, meaning the true footprint of on-site consumption is higher.
Fan merchandise
Official Formula 1 merchandise is everywhere on race weekends - team caps, driver T-shirts, hoodies, flags. While these products sit far outside Formula 1’s operational emissions boundary, they are part of the wider consumer ecosystem that surrounds the sport and travels with it across a 24-race season.
Unlike logistics or travel, Formula 1 does not publicly report emissions linked to fan merchandise. To understand the potential scale of this impact, we modelled a season-level estimate using conservative assumptions and third-party lifecycle data.
How we modelled merchandise emissions
Rather than estimating purchases at individual races, we take a season-wide approach, which aligns more closely with how fans typically buy merchandise.
Key assumptions:
Total 2023 weekend attendance: 6,150,000 spectators
Share of spectators purchasing merchandise (season-level): 40% (based on proxy data from football and US sports fandoms)
Purchases per fan: one item per season
Merchandise mix: - 50% T-shirts - 50% caps
Emission factors used
We apply average lifecycle emissions, covering raw materials, manufacturing, and assembly:
- T-shirt: average of 11.54 kg CO₂e per item (range: 6.91–18.25 kg CO₂e)
- Cap: average of 4.76 kg CO₂e per item (range: 2.05–10.42 kg CO₂e)
Calculations
Total merchandise purchasers:
6,150,000 × 40% = 2,460,000 spectators
Split evenly:
T-shirts: 1,230,000
Caps: 1,230,000
6,150,000 × 40% = 2,460,000 spectators
Split evenly:
T-shirts: 1,230,000
Caps: 1,230,000
Merchandise emissions:
| Merchandise type | Items sold | Emissions per item (kg CO₂e) | Total emissions (tCO₂e) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
T-shirts
|
1,230,000 | 11.54 | 14,194.20 |
|
Caps
|
1,230,000 | 4.76 | 5,854.80 |
|
Total
|
2,460,000 | — | 20,049.00 |
What this tells us:
🧢 Merchandise is not negligible
An estimated 20,049.00 tCO₂e is associated with fan apparel purchases across a single Formula 1 season.
This estimate excludes shipping, packaging, retail energy use, and unsold stock.
📊 It adds up alongside other “missing” emissions
Merchandise emissions are smaller than spectator travel but still significant.
Equivalent to roughly 12% of Formula 1’s reported 2024 operational emissions (168,720.00 tCO₂e).
Comparable to the annual emissions of about 4,360 passenger cars (~4.6 tCO₂e per car per year).
📦 This is likely a lower bound
The estimate assumes one item per purchasing fan and only includes T-shirts and caps.
It also assumes average (not premium) products, no repeat purchases, and excludes freight, warehousing, and end-of-life impacts.
In reality, many fans buy multiple items, higher-impact products such as hoodies or jackets, or collectibles like scale models.
These factors would increase the overall footprint.
Limitations and scope:
This analysis is illustrative only. It does not:
Model merchandise purchases race by race,
Account for regional differences in purchasing behaviour,
Include counterfeit or unofficial merchandise,
Include transport emissions from factories to consumers.
What it does show is that even conservative assumptions place fan merchandise firmly within the category of emissions that materially expand Formula 1’s real-world climate impact, despite sitting outside the sport’s official reporting boundary.
Race viewing: the hidden footprint of watching from home
Formula 1’s climate impact doesn’t stop at the circuit gates. While millions of fans attend races in person, tens of millions more watch each Grand Prix remotely, either on traditional television or via streaming platforms. Individually, the emissions from watching a race are small. But at Formula 1’s global scale, they become measurable.
This section estimates the emissions linked to race viewing, focusing on the energy used to deliver and watch live broadcasts.
How many people watch a Formula 1 race?
For 2025, Formula 1 reported that each race weekend attracts an average global audience of approximately 70 million viewers.
Because Formula 1 does not publish a detailed breakdown between traditional television and streaming, we apply a proxy split based on broader sports-viewing behaviour:
57% traditional TV (Digital Terrestrial / broadcast)
43% streaming (OTT platforms)
How long is a Formula 1 race?
Formula 1 races typically last between 1.5 and 2 hours.
To remain conservative and simple, we assume:
- 2 hours of viewing per spectator per race
Note: This does not include pre-race build-up, post-race analysis, highlights, or replays.
Energy use assumptions
Based on Ofcom-commissioned research (Carnstone, 2022), average energy consumption for one hour of viewing is estimated as:
- Traditional TV (DTT): 9.10 Wh per hour
Streaming (OTT): 54.00 Wh per hour
These figures include:
Viewing devices (TVs, laptops, phones)
In-home networks (routers, set-top boxes)
Distribution networks
broadcast or network infrastructure.
Emissions
To convert electricity use into emissions, we apply a European Union (EU-27) average grid electricity factor:
- 0.2942 kgCO₂e per kWh (IEA, activity-based)
This is used as a reference grid. Actual emissions will vary depending on national electricity mixes and device efficiency.
Viewer split
Total viewers per race: 70,000,000
TV viewers (57%): 39,900,000
Streaming viewers (43%): 30,100,000
Energy use per viewer (2 hours)
TV: 2 × 9.10 Wh = 18.20 Wh
Streaming: 2 × 54.00 Wh = 108.00 Wh
Total energy use per race
TV: 39,900,000 × 18.20 Wh = 726,180,000 Wh = 726.18 MWh
Streaming: 30,100,000 × 108.00 Wh = 3,250,800,000 Wh = 3,250.80 MWh
Total energy per race: 726.18 + 3,250.80 = 3,976.98 MWh
Converting energy to emissions
Using the EU-27 grid factor:
3,976.98 MWh = 3,976,980 kWh
3,976,980 × 0.2942 = 1,170,027.52 kg CO₂e
Total per race: 1,170.03 tCO₂e
Total viewers per race: 70,000,000
TV viewers (57%): 39,900,000
Streaming viewers (43%): 30,100,000
Energy use per viewer (2 hours)
TV: 2 × 9.10 Wh = 18.20 Wh
Streaming: 2 × 54.00 Wh = 108.00 Wh
Total energy use per race
TV: 39,900,000 × 18.20 Wh = 726,180,000 Wh = 726.18 MWh
Streaming: 30,100,000 × 108.00 Wh = 3,250,800,000 Wh = 3,250.80 MWh
Total energy per race: 726.18 + 3,250.80 = 3,976.98 MWh
Converting energy to emissions
Using the EU-27 grid factor:
3,976.98 MWh = 3,976,980 kWh
3,976,980 × 0.2942 = 1,170,027.52 kg CO₂e
Total per race: 1,170.03 tCO₂e
Scaling across a full Formula 1 season
With 24 races on the calendar:
1,170.03 × 24 = 28,080.72 tCO₂e
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
|
Average viewers per race
|
70,000,000 |
|
Viewing time assumed
|
2 hours |
|
Energy use per race
|
3,976.98 MWh |
|
Emissions per race
|
1,170.03 tCO₂e |
|
Emissions per season (24 races)
|
28,080.72 tCO₂e |
What this tells us
Broadcast emissions at scale
Race viewing is not the largest emissions source, but it is far from negligible at Formula 1’s scale.
Season-wide impact
At over 28,080 tCO₂e per season, broadcast-related emissions represent a measurable part of the sport’s wider carbon footprint.
Real-world comparison
This is comparable to the annual emissions of around 6,105 passenger cars and larger than the footprint of many medium-sized companies.
Streaming drives the footprint
Streaming dominates viewing-related emissions, accounting for over 80% of energy use despite representing less than half of viewers.
This estimate remains conservative. It does not include:
Pre- and post-race programming
Highlights, replays, and social media clips
Second screens (phones, tablets used alongside TV)
Data centre construction or device manufacturing
As with other “missing” emissions, the key takeaway is structural: When millions of people do the same low-impact activity at the same time, the aggregate impact becomes material.
Race viewing may feel invisible from a carbon perspective - but at Formula 1’s global scale, it clearly isn’t.
Putting it all together: what’s the full footprint when we include the missing emissions?
Formula 1’s reported footprint (168,720 tCO₂e for 2024) captures what the sport directly measures and manages across teams, promoters, logistics, travel, facilities, and race operations. But once we layer in the major emissions outside the reporting scope - especially spectator-related impacts - the overall picture changes dramatically.
Important note on comparability: due to available data, the add-up below combines Formula 1’s reported 2024 operational footprint with spectator attendance modelling based on 2023 season totals and race viewing assumptions based on 2025 audience estimates. The goal is order-of-magnitude context, not a single definitive inventory.
Note: For the season-wide spectator travel estimate, we use International travel - Scenario 2 (regionally weighted long-haul flights), alongside the domestic (Sydney proxy) and local mixed-mode assumptions.
Estimated “expanded” footprint (operational + modelled missing emissions)
Annual totals included in this roll-up
🏁
Reported operational footprint
Formula 1 (2024): 168,720.00 tCO₂e
✈️
Spectator travel
Season estimate (2023, international Scenario 2):
655,600.07 tCO₂e
655,600.07 tCO₂e
🏨
Spectator accommodation
Season estimate (2023):
122,326.44 tCO₂e
122,326.44 tCO₂e
🍽️
Spectator food
Season estimate (2023):
49,201.17 tCO₂e
49,201.17 tCO₂e
💧
Bottled water
Season estimate (2023):
509.22 tCO₂e
509.22 tCO₂e
👕
Fan merchandise
Season estimate (2023):
20,049.00 tCO₂e
20,049.00 tCO₂e
📺
Race viewing
Season estimate (2025 assumptions):
28,080.72 tCO₂e
28,080.72 tCO₂e
Total (expanded estimate)
1,044,486.62 tCO₂e per year
1,044,486.62 tCO₂e per year
What dominates the “expanded” footprint?
Based on the totals above, the approximate shares are:
Spectator travel: 62.78%
Spectator food: 4.71%
Reported operational footprint: 16.15%
Spectator accommodation: 11.71%
Race viewing: 2.69%
Fan merchandise: 1.92%
Bottled water: 0.05%
| Emissions source | Annual emissions (tCO₂e) | Included in F1’s official footprint? |
|---|---|---|
|
Reported operational footprint (2024)
|
168,720.00 | Yes |
|
Spectator travel (season estimate; intl Scenario 2)
|
655,600.07 | No |
|
Spectator accommodation (season estimate)
|
122,326.44 | No |
|
Spectator food (season estimate)
|
49,201.17 | No |
|
Fan merchandise (season estimate)
|
20,049.00 | No |
|
Race viewing (season estimate)
|
28,080.72 | No |
|
Bottled water (season estimate)
|
509.22 | No |
|
Total (expanded estimate)
|
1,044,486.62 | — |
Putting it all together
Formula 1’s latest sustainability reporting puts its official operational footprint at 168,720.00 tCO₂e per year. This reflects the emissions the sport directly measures and manages – from freight and team travel to factories and race operations.
When we add the additional impacts modelled in this study – including spectator travel, accommodation, food, merchandise, bottled water, and race viewing – the scale changes dramatically.
Reported by Formula 1: 168,720.00 tCO₂e per year
Additional impacts modelled here: 875,766.62 tCO₂e per year
Total expanded estimate: 1,044,486.62 tCO₂e per year (~1.04 MtCO₂e)
Put simply, the emissions outside Formula 1’s current reporting boundary are around five times higher than those it officially reports. Taken together, the sport’s wider footprint is roughly six times larger than the headline figure most often cited.
The takeaway is clear: Formula 1’s operational decarbonisation matters, but the climate impact of the sport is driven just as much by what happens around the race as what happens on track.
What does ~1.04 MtCO₂e actually look like?
An expanded footprint of ≈ 1.04 MtCO₂e per year places Formula 1’s total climate impact firmly at national scale.
For context, this is comparable to the entire annual greenhouse gas emissions of Belize, which are estimated at around 0.92 MtCO₂e per year.
Put differently, when spectator travel, accommodation, food, merchandise, and viewing are taken into account, a single global sports championship generates emissions on the same order as a sovereign state.
This doesn’t diminish the operational progress Formula 1 has made. But it does sharpen the central insight of this analysis: most of the sport’s climate impact now sits outside the boundary it officially reports, and that gap matters if net zero claims are to reflect the sport’s real-world footprint.
What fans can realistically change and why it matters
This analysis shows that Formula 1’s climate impact is shaped as much by fan behaviour as by what happens in the paddock. Once spectator travel, accommodation, food, and viewing are included, these “around-the-race” activities dominate the sport’s total footprint.
That means individual choices do matter.
For fans attending races, the biggest levers are clear:
Prioritise proximity over prestige
Attending a nearby race by train or car has a radically smaller footprint than flying long-haul for a single weekend.
Choose lower-carbon ground transport
Trains, buses, EVs, and car-sharing consistently outperform short-haul flights and single-occupancy driving.
Stay closer, travel less on site
Accommodation near the circuit and use of public transport or event shuttles significantly reduces last-mile emissions.
Watch locally when possible
Watching races at home, or as a shared viewing with friends, avoids the outsized emissions linked to long-distance travel while still supporting the sport.
Think in annual holidays, not extra weekends
If travelling far, combine races with holidays you were already planning rather than taking an additional trip to reduce the emissions intensity per day attended.
None of these actions will decarbonise Formula 1 on their own. But when millions of fans make similar choices across a 24-race calendar, the impact becomes material.
If Formula 1’s path to net zero is to reflect the reality of the sport, not just the boundaries of its reporting, then progress will depend not only on cleaner logistics and fuels, but on how the sport engages with the emissions created by the way it is watched, attended, and consumed.
Sources:Share this article
Subscribe to the CSO Connect Newsletter
We care about your data in our privacy policy.
