With 115 Formula 1 Grand Prix victories and eight constructors’ championships on the shelf since 2010, the successes of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team have bred the renewal of a multi-year title and technical partnership between the racing team and the Malaysian energy company, ahead of the revised power unit regulations that will take effect from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards.
“Today we are doing something a little bit unusual – announcing a partnership that will begin in four years’ time. This sends an important message: our team and Petronas are no longer just partners; we are family, and we will be one team for many more years to come,” said Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff.
On the technical front for Formula 1, the 2022 season introduced significant changes to the technical regulations involving aerodynamics, wheels and fuel, the latter requiring teams to run cars on E10 fuel (10% ethanol). Mercedes-AMG F1 and Petronas are working to optimise their power unit, for which development has been frozen from March 1 this year until the next generation of power units come into play from 2026, in line with the regulations.
“Given the accumulated experience as a team over the last decade, and the technical capabilities and expertise sourced from our combined talents, Petronas looks forward to charting the next chapter with a focus on advanced sustainable fuel for Mercedes and its customer teams,” said Petronas president and group CEO Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik.
“Together with our partners, Petronas will keep pushing boundaries with our Fluid Technology Solutions through innovative offerings. At the heart of our efforts will be sustainability – as we all progress towards a lower-carbon future,” he added.
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is the first in the premier open-wheel racing series to invest in sustainable aviation fuel via title partner Petronas, and the team’s trial of running its race trucks on biofuel through the Belgium-Netherlands-Italy triple header of race weekends have yielded an 89% reduction in carbon emissions over the three weeks, according to motorsport.com.
“We are already on track with developing a greenfield biorefinery and co-processing at our facilities to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a cleaner and more viable option for aircrafts in our effort to support the aviation industry needs,” said Petronas Downstream EVP and CEO Datuk Sazali Hamzah.
This is in line with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) which is expected to come into mandatory effect by 2027, as well as the FIA net zero by 2030 commitment, both of which will affect the logistics operations of Formula 1 teams, the team statement added.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
