FIA, McLaren & Deloitte: Could F1 Cars be Recycled?

After every F1 race, hundreds of parts are removed from the cars and checked to see if they can be used again. 

Some parts, like tyres and brake disks, are replaced after each race weekend.

Others, like the chassis and suspension, are designed to be reused until they become damaged. 

However, constant car development and rule changes can leave old parts without a use. 

McLaren Racing has teamed up with Deloitte UK to create the F1 Constructors’ Circularity Handbook, commissioned by the FIA. 

It hopes to improve sustainable practices in the development and manufacturing of F1 cars. 

Kim Wilson, Director of Sustainability at McLaren Racing, says: “I’m immensely proud of the work we’ve delivered in partnership with Deloitte as a first step to improving circularity in our sport. 

“By embracing circular economy practices, teams can minimise their environmental impact and drive innovation in Formula 1. 

“We identified the manufacture of our F1 car as a key opportunity to improve our environmental impact and progress towards our sustainability targets. This Handbook is a crucial step in achieving that. 

“If we can encourage all teams to measure their circularity, we can collectively influence the technical regulations to improve sustainability without compromising performance.”

The challenges of circularity in Formula 1

Recycled materials are being incorporated into items across industries, but in high speed racing safety is a top priority. 

F1 car chassis are primarily made of carbon fibre composites so incorporating recycled materials could impact their performance and, therefore, safety. 

McLaren tested the use of recycled carbon fibre in 2023 at the US Grand Prix and was the first F1 team to race a chassis manufactured wholly from carbon fibre in 1981.

In 2020, the team introduced bio-based flax fibre as a substitute for carbon fibre in Lando Norris’ car seat.

Nikolas Tombazis, Single Seat Director at the FIA, told Sustainability Magazine: “The high-performance requirements of components in Formula 1 means that specialist, non-recyclable materials are extensively used at present, which is a challenge we must look to solve collectively as an industry. 

“Additionally, sustainable materials — such as recycled carbon fibre or natural fibres — often fall short of meeting safety, weight and performance standards. 

“While the current FIA regulations do not address sourcing or end-of-life considerations for materials, the industry and regulatory landscape are evolving.”

What’s in the F1 Constructors’ Circularity Handbook?

The handbook’s goal is to create a robust and consistent measurement for teams to use when adopting circular practices across the sport. 

It will serve as a manual to measure the circularity of each team’s individual chassis manufacture and create opportunities for future regulatory change to improve circularity. 

The handbook includes a step by step methodology to identify and gather data alongside information on estimating data to fill gaps.

It also gives definitions of how to apply circularity criteria to different input materials and waste streams and guidance on how to use this information to calculate a single circularity metric. 

Nikolas explains: “By embracing circular economy practices, teams can minimise their environmental impact, drive innovation and inspire fans and stakeholders alike. 

“Longer term, the ambition is for the Handbook to be adopted beyond the Formula 1 ecosystem and become a valuable tool for the broader automotive industry.

“Circularity is already visible in some car components using sustainable materials, for example, tyres incorporating sustainable components like FSC-certified natural rubber from sustainable forestry practices. 

“Circularity is a focus area in the FIA's sustainability vision for the next five to 10 years and we aim to further integrate sustainability into research topics and regulatory frameworks.

“We are committed to improving green practices across motorsport and mobility.”

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