While overwhelming favourite Max Verstappen won the 2024 Formula 1 (F1) drivers’ title for Red Bull as expected, McLaren has secured the constructors’ title in a victory that comes as more of a surprise – its first since 1998.
And as the McLaren team impresses, Big Four official partner Deloitte is working behind the scenes to improve the team’s green credentials. EY is also in on the F1 advisory action.
The sport accounts for 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every season
Green focus
F1 as a sport has been heavily criticised by environmentalists due to some of its practices that contribute to such a large carbon footprint. Several drivers – such as Sebastian Vettel – have taken their own individual climate action by choosing to drive to most of their European races rather than flying.
The sport’s biggest environmental challenge is reducing its carbon footprint; the sport accounts for 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every season. With 10 teams, 20 cars and 24 races held in different countries, the primary contributor to carbon emissions comes from the spectators travelling to venues and the energy needed to power the race tracks. F1 cars’ high-performance engines also consume vast amounts of fossil fuels during every race.
However, it is making positive moves to reduce its carbon footprint. The governing body, the FIA, has already introduced regulations such as standardising cars to V6 engines: a much smaller engine that aims to promote fuel efficiency and, as a result, support more environmentally friendly racing.
Multipronged McLaren
Individual teams are also making concerted efforts to reduce their environmental footprints. Last year Deloitte and McLaren extended their sustainability-focused contract in a multi-year renewal that expands the firm’s association to a global partnership level.
Since 2020, Deloitte and McLaren have worked closely to help enhance the performance of the McLaren F1 team and its operations, without compromising performance levels. The partnership includes capturing and analysing data to optimise car performance and help inform race-day decision-making.
‘McLaren Racing is playing an important role in shaping the future success of the sport’
Deloitte, in its capacity as the team’s official ‘transformation partner’, is also helping to embed circularity – the concept of eliminating waste and maximising resources through reuse and recycling – into McLaren’s sustainability mission.
The team is committed to achieving net zero by 2040 and steps have already been made, as outlined in the team’s 2023 sustainability report, published earlier this year. Highlights from the report include a 25% reduction in fuel emissions against a 2019 baseline, and a 16% reduction in emissions per race compared with 2022.
Deloitte and McLaren will also look to leverage the firm’s GreenSpace Tech, which connects organisations with new and existing technologies and ecosystems that can help accelerate their decarbonisation efforts.
‘Deloitte’s sustainability and climate specialists will work with McLaren Racing to research and develop the concept for a fully circular F1 car,’ says Jennifer Steinmann, Deloitte’s global sustainability and climate practice leader. ‘By prioritising sustainability and performance, McLaren Racing is playing an important role in shaping the future success and growth of the sport.’
‘Our ambitions with Deloitte will push for tangible innovation in circularity’
Matt Dennington, executive director, partnerships and accelerator at McLaren Racing, adds: ‘Our ambitions with Deloitte will push for tangible innovation in circularity, finding solutions that can make our team, sport and the wider world more sustainable.’
Data-driven Haas
Meanwhile, EY revealed details of a fresh partnership with the Haas team earlier this year, which aims to improve the team’s operational efficiency, including through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
EY is providing consulting services to support Haas in adopting greater system functionality through the Microsoft Dynamics platform, including the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management solution.
Among other innovations, the tech will enable Haas to use mobile devices to approve transactions on the go; to access a warehouse solution allowing barcode tracking of car components throughout the supply chain; and to use the Microsoft Azure Data Lake to store historical and transactional data for reporting and analysis.
‘The platform has the potential to be a game changer for the Haas F1 team’
‘[The tech] will provide greater agility and flexibility for their staff – whether they are trackside or back at the factory,’ says Alex Corps, EY partner, technology consulting. ‘Looking further to the future, the solution will also enable Haas to harness the untapped potential of their data – be that technical or performance data – which can be utilised for machine learning and AI.’
Ayao Komatsu, team principal of Haas, adds: ‘The platform has the potential to be a game changer for the Haas F1 team. The expertise of the EY team to help implement the solution, as well as laying the foundation for our future growth and innovation, will help us to achieve our aim of positioning Haas at the forefront of technological advancement in the sport.’
So, while all eyes remain focused on the performances of the drivers and their teams, the work of the Big Four advisers behind the scenes should continue to pay dividends.
