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By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted May 6, 2025 | In Formula 1, MotoGP, MotoGP
F1, MotoGP, and the Green Revolution: How Sustainability Is Transforming Motorsport Sponsorships
In the world of motorsport sponsorship, speed and performance have traditionally reigned supreme. However, a new race is underway, one towards sustainability. Both Formula 1 and MotoGP are steering into greener territories, not just to meet environmental mandates but to align with the evolving values of fans and sponsors alike. This shift is redefining sponsorship narratives, offering eco-conscious brands a dynamic platform to showcase their commitment to sustainability.
Formula 1: Accelerating Towards a Sustainable Future
Formula 1 has set an ambitious goal: to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. This commitment encompasses all facets of the sport, from on-track activities to logistics and operations.
Key Initiatives:
Sustainable Fuels: By 2026, F1 aims to power its cars with 100% sustainable fuels. These fuels are being developed to ensure they are carbon-neutral, derived from non-food biomass, and compatible with existing internal combustion engines. However, the transition isn’t without challenges. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff highlighted the unexpected high costs associated with producing fully green fuels, citing the need for a completely sustainable supply chain as a significant factor.
Technical Regulations: The 2026 power unit regulations will see the introduction of engines with increased electrical power output and the elimination of the MGU-H component. These changes aim to make the sport more sustainable while maintaining its competitive edge.
Sustainable Materials: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team has announced plans to integrate sustainable carbon fiber composites into their 2025 race cars, showcasing a commitment to reducing environmental impact without compromising performance.
Sponsorship Dynamics
The green revolution in F1 is attracting a new wave of sponsors eager to associate with sustainability. Luxury conglomerate LVMH recently inked a 10-year global sponsorship deal with Formula 1, set to commence in 2025. This partnership underscores the alignment between high-end brands and F1’s commitment to innovation and excellence.
MotoGP: Shifting Gears Towards Eco-Conscious Racing
MotoGP, the top category of motorcycle racing, is also embracing sustainability, implementing measures that reflect a commitment to environmental responsibility.
Key Initiatives
Renewable Fuels: Starting in 2024, all MotoGP classes began using fuels with at least 40% non-fossil origin, with a target of reaching 100% by 2027.
Technical Adjustments From 2027, MotoGP plans to introduce less powerful engines and reduce the use of aerodynamics. These changes aim to enhance the sport’s sustainability without compromising the thrill of racing.
Supplier Changes In a significant move, MotoGP announced that Pirelli would become the sole tire supplier across all categories starting in 2027. This decision is part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and enhance sustainability.
Sponsorship Dynamics
The shift towards sustainability is influencing sponsorships in MotoGP. For instance, French automotive brand Alpine has entered MotoGP in collaboration with the Prima Pramac team, now competing as Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility.
Synthetic Fuels: A Closer Look
Synthetic fuels, or e-fuels, are produced by combining green hydrogen, derived from water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere or industrial processes. This process results in a fuel that can be used in existing internal combustion engines, offering a potential pathway to decarbonize sectors where electrification is challenging.
However, the production of synthetic fuels is currently expensive and energy-intensive. According to IFP Energies Nouvelles, developing efficient and recyclable catalysts is crucial to improving the performance and reducing the costs of synthetic fuel production. Moreover, the manufacturing process’s complexity and the need for significant renewable energy input pose additional challenges.
Motorsports as a Catalyst for Innovation
Motorsports have historically been a testing ground for automotive innovations, and the shift towards sustainability is no exception. The adoption of synthetic fuels in Formula 1 and MotoGP not only demonstrates the feasibility of these fuels in high-performance scenarios but also helps in refining the technology for broader applications.
For instance, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team‘s initiative to integrate sustainable carbon fiber composites into their 2025 race cars showcases a commitment to reducing environmental impact without compromising performance. Such advancements in material science, driven by the demands of motorsports, can have far-reaching effects on the automotive industry at large.
Broader Implications and the Road Ahead
The push for sustainability in motorsports reflects a broader societal shift towards environmental consciousness. As Formula 1 and MotoGP set ambitious targets for carbon neutrality, they not only influence the automotive sector but also set examples for other industries.
But achieving these goals requires addressing the challenges associated with synthetic fuel production, such as high costs and energy requirements. Continued investment in research and development, along with supportive policies and infrastructure, will be essential to overcome these hurdles.
Lastly, while the path to a sustainable future in motorsports and transportation is fraught with challenges, the ongoing efforts and innovations in Formula 1 and MotoGP offer a promising glimpse into what’s possible. By leveraging the unique position of motorsports as a nexus of technology and performance, we can accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future.
Emanuele Venturoli
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
Save time and money
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Motorsport is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
The right information, the right choice
Motorsport is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the beating heart
Activations are the real heart of motorsport sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Objective measurements for a certain return
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
We have been involved in motorsport sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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