When people talk about F1 CSR and sponsorship, the most common reaction is skepticism: a sport that travels the world by plane and truck cannot be sustainable, and a sponsor talking about social responsibility is greenwashing. It is a fair suspicion. But today Formula 1 measures its emissions, publishes the results and has a target with a date. For a company, that is exactly what makes CSR in F1 a serious subject: it can be proven, not just claimed.
What CSR means in an F1 sponsorship
Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is the set of environmental, social and governance commitments a company makes beyond profit. In a sponsorship it means using the visibility and resources of the partnership to achieve a measurable result on a concrete issue: emissions, safety, inclusion, education. The difference from simple brand exposure is that the result can be counted.
The numbers: how much Formula 1 emits and how much it has cut
In 2019 Formula 1 set a Net Zero target for 2030. The starting point is 2018, with a footprint of 228,793 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, a figure F1 itself restated using more accurate supplier data. By the end of 2024 it had fallen to 168,720 tonnes: down 26%, more than halfway to the minimum 50% cut planned by 2030.
The figure carries more weight in context. Over the same period the calendar grew from 21 to 24 races, attendance from 4 to 6.5 million people, and the global fanbase passed 826 million. According to Formula 1 itself, without any action emissions would have grown by around 10% compared with 2018.
The car has changed too. From 2026 the power units run on 100% sustainable fuel and peak power is split roughly half and half between the combustion engine and the electrical part. For a brand that wants to talk about innovation and the energy transition, it is a credible platform.
Three CSR models that work in Formula 1
From our work with clients I see three ways of linking a sponsorship to social responsibility. They all work when the initiative is tied to the sponsor’s product or trade, not when it is stuck on top.
1. Responsibility for your own product: Heineken. In 2016 Heineken debuted as an F1 partner with the campaign “When You Drive, Never Drink”, in which Sir Jackie Stewart turns down a beer throughout the spot because he has to drive. A beer brand using Formula 1 to say do not drink and drive: the message fits the product, and that is why it is credible.
2. Cutting emissions in your own trade: DHL. In 2023 DHL, F1’s logistics partner, ran 18 trucks on HVO100 biofuel across the nine European races, covering more than 10,600 kilometers. Road freight emissions fell by an average of 83% compared with diesel, on a certified calculation. DHL did not talk about sustainability: it delivered it with the trucks it was already running.
3. Inclusion and access: F1 Academy. F1 Academy, the all-female series at Formula 4 level, was launched in 2023. Since 2024 the ten F1 teams of the time have each backed a driver racing in their colors (Cadillac, which arrived in 2026, will do so from 2027), and in 2026 the LEGO Group also fields a car. For a company it is a concrete way to link its name to inclusion, with a starting grid and sporting results to talk about.
Five rules for an F1 sponsorship with real impact
When a company asks us to build a Formula 1 sponsorship with a CSR goal, we always start from these five rules.
- Choose an issue close to your business. Heineken talks about responsible drinking, DHL about logistics. Consistency is the first defense against accusations of greenwashing.
- Set a measurable goal before signing. Tonnes of CO2 avoided, people trained, volunteering hours: a starting number and a target.
- Align with the sustainability strategy of the team or championship. F1’s Net Zero 2030 provides a public framework to measure yourself against.
- Involve employees and customers. Hospitality, factory visits and events can also serve training or access programs for people who would never normally enter a paddock.
- Report. Publish the results, even when they are partial. An imperfect but verifiable figure is worth more than a promise.
Budget matters, but it does not decide on its own: with our F1 sponsorship cost calculator you can estimate the investment, then you need to define what you want to achieve beyond the logo.
The greenwashing risk, stated plainly
A sponsorship with CSR only in the press release is worse than no CSR at all. The Formula 1 audience is informed, the specialist press checks and the championship’s data is public: anyone promising what they do not measure gets found out. In my view this is the healthiest part of the shift: it forces sponsors to do real things.
Formula 1 is not a zero-impact sport and will not be anytime soon. But it is a sport that has decided to measure itself, and that allows sponsors to do the same. Numbers first, then the story.
Frequently asked questions about sponsors, CSR and Formula 1
What does CSR mean in a Formula 1 sponsorship?
It means using the partnership with a team or the championship to achieve a measurable social or environmental result, such as lower emissions, more safety or more inclusion, on top of brand visibility.
Does Formula 1 have a sustainability target?
Yes. In 2019 Formula 1 set a Net Zero target for 2030. Compared with 2018 it had cut its carbon footprint by 26% by the end of 2024, from 228,793 to 168,720 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
What fuel does Formula 1 use from 2026?
From 2026 Formula 1 power units use 100% sustainable fuel, and peak power is split roughly half and half between the combustion engine and the electrical component.
Which F1 sponsors do CSR credibly?
Three examples: Heineken, with its 2016 anti drink-driving campaign “When You Drive, Never Drink”; DHL, which in 2023 cut truck emissions at the European races by an average of 83% using HVO100 biofuel; and the teams and partners that support the drivers of F1 Academy.
What is F1 Academy?
It is the all-female series at Formula 4 level launched in 2023. Since 2024 the ten Formula 1 teams of the time have each backed a driver in their colors, and other cars are backed by the series’ partners.
How do you avoid greenwashing in a sports sponsorship?
By choosing an issue consistent with your business, setting measurable goals before signing, aligning with the sustainability strategy of the team or championship, and publishing the results, even when they are partial.
