The 1976 Formula 1 race circuit was composed of 16 races making a total of 3,033.57 miles of track. This calculation does not include two additional non-championship races and all the practice and qualification laps.
The following facts will be dry and boring, but stay with me as we use it to draw a conclusion about CO2 emission and our economy.
There were a total of 13 teams, each with approximately 1-7 cars/drivers (47 cars total). Each race consisted of 20-28 cars, driving at the highest speed of 195mph. Formula 1 races are regulated by the FIA, who pose regulations on the fuel type and formulation. They do not, however, require mechanisms (such as a catalytic converter) to keep emissions at a safe level. 1976 F1 race cars used a standard 4 miles per gallon, although it varies from car to car.
We use this calculation, 4mpg x 3,033.57 miles, to see that 1 race car uses approximately 12,134.28 gallons. 12,134.28 gallons/race car x 28 race cars= 339,759.84 gallons used just for race cars during circuits (not counting practice laps, transportation to/from races, etc). Upon further research, we see that 20lbs of CO2 are produced from 1 gallon of gas.
So, 6,795,196.80lbs were produced in 1976 just from racing (transportation to and from the track plus other CO2 emissions are not included).
Today there are a total of 22 races in the season, with each Grand Prix (race) a standard 190 miles. In 2015, it was regulated that there be just 10 teams, and each team has a mandatory two cars/drivers (total of 20 cars). On top of this, a growth in spectators has been observed, and in 2019, an all-time high of 4.16 million spectators was recorded. Take into account the transportation involved in getting the spectators to the track.
While a lot of attention has been given to the increasingly energy efficient engines that F1 has built, 72.7% of the total carbon emission of the racing season comes from international travel logistics required to put on the race. Teams ship between 50 - 100 tons of cars, spare parts, and equipment to each of the 22 races on the calendar, covering more than 110,000 air miles every year. Considering 5 gallons of jet fuel for every mile at this distance, it is close to 5.5 million gallons of jet fuel just for transport between the races. And, a gallon of jet fuel creates 21 pounds of carbon dioxide when it is burned, according to the EPA.
Formula 1 put out its own detailed carbon footprint analysis, showing that 2019’s footprint was estimated to be 256,551 tonnes CO2E. Following are the percentage given to each operation during a racing season:
Power Unit Emissions 0.7%
Event Operations 7.3%
Logistics 45.0%
Facilities and Factories 19.3%
Business Travel 27.7%
According to the research I performed, do you think it is possible to effectively reduce CO2 emission by cancelling all future NASCAR races without making a detrimental impact on the businesses that help support these events (airlines, tour guides, etc)? While some argue that car racing needs to be completely and immediately eliminated, I believe that a gradual reduction is necessary to prevent big business loss. What are your thoughts?