McLaren’s report shows motorsport sustainability efforts

Racing is going green and motorsports are becoming ambassadors for sustainability as major firms and technology producers facilitate a push towards an eco-friendly future for the wider motoring sector. 

McLaren is one of the pioneers in this space. As the first team in Formula 1, Indy Car and Extreme E, McLaren Racing to release a sustainability report, it also has a foothold in many of the popular motorsports, including the electrified newcomers. In May 2022, it was announced by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for the team to join the sustainable Formula E series. 

McLaren Racing declares its sustainability achievements

With a strong passion for sustainability, McLaren Racing announced its 2022 report—developed in line with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which outlines what the championship team is doing to pay consideration to environmental, social and governance (ESG) in motorsport. 

Founded in 1963, the team has since taken major steps to improve upon the racing life cycle and how it develops automobiles to compete for performance and circular economy. The team’s sustainability agenda is one of its main drivers and is influenced by its brand values: bravery, humility, ingenuity, energy, and openness. 

The team’s CEO, Zak Brown says, in the report, that “the 2020 and 2021 seasons were some of the most turbulent and unpredictable in our sport’s recent history.”

Brown continues to mention that “the [coronavirus] pandemic disrupted races and operations in ways we couldn’t have foreseen. Our calendar, health and safety measures and ways of working had to change rapidly, while we were bereft of the buzz fans bring to every event. Beyond the pandemic though, the races themselves delivered their own on- and off-track drama and some tough lessons.”

Meanwhile, its Director of Sustainability, Kim Wilson cites the demand for net-zero emissions and how electric vehicles (EVs) and battery technologies are paving the way for motorsport as it continues entertaining millions. 

“Across the industry we’re seeing promising strides at both top-down and grassroots levels,” says Wilson. “F1’s net-zero goal incorporates plans to power cars with 100% sustainable drop-in fuels, as well as advancing battery technologies for the next generation of the hybrid power unit, all of which pave the way for disruptive developments in the transport, shipping, aviation and EV industries.”

The sustainability goals of McLaren Racing

Sustainability is a board-level procedure and one that the team is taking to its core. Circularity is one of the major and most effective solutions for motorsport and there is major consideration for the components and materials involved in developing a racing machine. From travel to components, McLaren Racing is counting everything to ensure a true net-zero outcome. 

This starts by putting the supply chain in a close proximity to the business as the team tackles this as a primary issue. 

Its four sustainability pillars: net zero, circular economy, diversity; equality and inclusion, and health & wellbeing are pivotal in shaping the way McLaren Racing operates from the conceptualisation of vehicles to putting them on the track—ensuring everyone in the team is cared for and fulfilled in the process. 

To read the full report and follow the team on its sustainability journey, click here.