A report conducted by Formula One estimated that the series produced 256,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the 2019 season. The breakdown revealed that 45 percent of total emissions came from logistics — the movement of cars, equipment, personnel, and freight between race venues — while only 0.7 percent came from the racing cars themselves. This distribution established that meaningful emissions reduction required addressing the championship's global travel and freight operations, not primarily the power units on track.
For European rounds alone, equipment transport required 18 trucks per event. For fly-away races outside Europe, the operation required two Boeing 747 jumbo jets to move equipment between venues. Formula One Management transported around 200 tonnes of equipment to each race, setting up structures including a 1,200 square metre air-conditioned facility at the circuit.
In January 2020, the FIA and Formula One signed the United Nations Sports for Climate Action framework, formalising their commitment to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.
From the 2021 season, all cars were required to use E10 fuel — a blend containing ten percent ethanol, up from the 5.75 percent previously mandated. This increase in the bio-component of the fuel was described as one step in an incremental progression. In December 2020, the FIA stated it had developed a fuel with 100 percent sustainable composition intended for use in Formula One from either 2025 or 2026, coinciding with the introduction of new engine regulations.
Formula One switched to fully sustainable fuels for the 2026 season, a transition that was also implemented in the Formula 2 feeder series.
The 2026 engine regulations removed the Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H), a component of the hybrid power units used from 2014 to 2025 that recovered thermal energy from exhaust gases. The MGU-H was removed because of its cost and complexity, which made it prohibitive for new power unit manufacturers to enter the sport. The 2026 regulations significantly increased the electrical power output of power units, with the hybrid element accounting for approximately 50 percent of total power output — up from around 160 brake horsepower electrically in the prior era to approximately 470 brake horsepower under the new rules.
The fuel energy flow rate, previously measured in kilograms per hour, was redefined under 2026 regulations as a fuel energy flow rate in megajoules per hour, reflecting the tighter integration between combustion and electrical energy management.
In August 2020, all ten Formula One teams signed a new Concorde Agreement including a budget cap for car development described at the time as supporting sustainable development. The cap was set at $175 million for the 2021 season and was subsequently reduced to $135 million for the 2023 to 2025 period.
Formula One launched the WeRaceAsOne initiative before the 2020 season to address racial inequalities and diversity within the sport. In parallel, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team found that approximately 95 percent of its workforce was white and launched the Accelerate 25 programme, pledging that 25 percent of all new hires would come from underrepresented minorities until 2025. Formula One also announced the creation of the F1 Academy in 2022, described as an effort to change perceptions and inspire the next generation of women in motorsport.