Firestone Enliten introduces new sustainable technology to IndyCar and I have the details in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. You will also find out about F1 drivers interested in testing the new Gen4 Formula E car and much more!
Sustainable Motorsport News
Silverstone Reaches Important Milestone in F1’s Net Zero Push
Home of the Pirelli British Grand Prix, Silverstone has secured ISO20121:2024 certification, the international standard for event sustainability management systems.
The standard provides a framework for managing sustainability throughout an event’s lifecycle, from its inception to measuring and reporting, while also making continuous improvements.
“This achievement is a testament of the dedication of our incredible teams across the business in embedding sustainability within every step from event planning to delivery and of Silverstone’s commitment to driving best practice within sustainability, having achieved the ISO14001 and the FIA 3-Star Environmental Accreditation in previous years,” a statement from Silverstone read.
Silverlake Automotive Recycling is sponsoring the Silverlake C1 Racing Series for a fifth consecutive year. Silverlake has supported the UK endurance racing series since 2021, when it first introduced quality-graded recycled parts to paddock.
It has since become a cornerstone of the C1 Racing Club, providing not just headline sponsorship but hands-on technical support and expertise to help keep cars running.
Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake Automotive Recycling, said: “C1 Racing Club represents everything we value in motorsport, making racing affordable and accessible, while actively helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the sport. That aligns perfectly with Silverlake’s mission of helping people stay safe on the roads using cost-effective, quality-graded, warranty-assured recycled parts.”
WRC Promoter Retains Three-Star FIA Sustainability Accreditation
The World Rally Championship’s (WRC) parent company WRC Promoter has been awarded three-star environmental accreditation by the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
The accreditation supports WRC Promoter’s wider Beyond Rally programme, an innovation and sustainability platform designed to accelerate progress through collaboration.
“Achieving FIA three-star environmental accreditation is an important milestone for us,” said Bernhard Hafenscher, WRC Promoter’s innovation and sustainability lead, who led the renewal process. It reflects the work happening across our operations and with our partners to manage impact responsibly, and it gives us a strong platform to keep improving.”
Norway Accelerates Grassroots Participation with Electric ‘Arrive & Drive’ Program
In 2025, the Norwegian ASN marked a major milestone in its commitment to accessible, sustainable and inclusive motor sport with the launch of an ambitious electric karting program, supported by the FIA Motor Sport Funding Program.
The initiative adopted the ‘Arrive and Drive’ format and utilized 17 electric karts to introduce children aged 9 to 12 to competitive karting for the very first time. The program offered a comprehensive introduction to motor sport with sessions including driving theory, motor sport safety, personalised coaching support and finally a race simulation.
Hosted at three tracks across Norway; Varna, Rudskogen and Trøgstad, the project gave a first taste of motor sport to young people and forms a key part of the Norwegian Automobilesport Federation’s commitment to grassroots development.
Track to Truth
Right Hub will be participating in a session at the BlackBook Motorsport Forum called Track to Truth: Owning the Sustainability Narrative. It will be held at 2:10 PM local time.
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
Firestone unveils ENLITEN Technology for IndyCar tires
Firestone has taken its next step with introducing sustainable materials within its IndyCar Series racing tires and some of its road tires by incorporating its ‘ENLITEN Technology.’
Firestone Firehawk primary and alternate race tires will incorporate key ENLITEN Technology components1, including:
- Renewable soybean oil: Replaces petroleum-based oils traditionally used in tire compounds
- Recycled steel: Used for the bead wire that anchors a race tire to a wheel
- Recycled carbon black: Reinforcement material recovered from end-of-life tires
Use of these materials helps improve resource efficiency and increased material circularity while meeting the rigorous performance demands of North America’s premier open-wheel racing series.
“Firestone Racing serves as a mobile lab to test and prove new technologies under the most extreme conditions,” said Lisa Boggs, Director, Bridgestone Americas Motorsports. “The integration of ENLITEN Technology is the next step in our commitment to no compromises, and sustainably focused technology through the use of cutting-edge materials.”
Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance Racing Tires Feature Fake Tread to Highlight 50% Sustainable Materials Achievement
The 2026 Pilot Sport Endurance racing tires have achieved the 50% level of renewable and recycled materials in slick racing tires, and as much as 56% in the treaded wet-weather tires. This marks a 20-percentage-point increase over the previous tires.
“As Michelin introduced new GTP and Hypercar tires for IMSA [International Motor Sports Association] and WEC [World Endurance Championship], we set an ambitious goal: reach 50% renewable and recycled materials without compromising performance,” explained Hans Emmel, Michelin’s Series Manager for the GTP class in an email to Design News. “We not only met that target, but we maintained peak grip and balance while improving warm‑up, consistency, and wear.”
Series News
The Future of Electric Racing: Formula E’s Gen4 Vision Explained
In this exclusive Race Industry Week by EPARTRADE interview, Jeff Dodds, CEO of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, lays out a bold and data-driven vision for the championship’s future—spanning Gen4 race cars, global expansion, sustainability leadership, and a roadmap to 2030 and beyond.
Whatever particular taste you may have in motorsport – and Max Verstappen made his viscerally known last week – Formula E is going to become a much sturdier little brother to Formula 1 in the coming years.
That’s not just the forecast of Formula E CEO, Jeff Dodds, who reckons that Formula E in its Gen4 guise will ramp up some serious rivalry with F1; but it is also why major manufacturers such as Porsche, Nissan, Stellantis (with Citroen and, most likely, Opel) and Jaguar have committed to the Gen4 ruleset between 2026 and 2030.
Sam Smith explains the why and how in The Race here.
Formula E Aims to Increase Calendar for Gen4 With Additional US Round
Formula E is aiming to expand the calendar further for the arrival of Gen4 cars in the 2026-27 season, which is set to feature 18 to 19 races. While Miami Autodrome is expected to again feature on the 2026-27 calendar after making its debut in January this year, Formula E has also been holding talks for up to four years for a second venue in the US.
“We are talking with six cities at the moment in the US. We have had conversations with 11, but at the moment we are talking to six different cities.”
Formula E to Adopt WEC-Style ‘Joker’ Upgrade System for Gen4
The FIA and Formula E will allow manufacturers to introduce hardware upgrades to their Gen4 cars through a new token-based system, replacing the current mid-cycle Evo update format. Autosport explains how it will work.
FE Supremo Salutes Saudi Impact
In an exclusive interview with Gulf Motorsport Business, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds discusses the importance of Saudi Arabia to the all-electric series – and how FE is helping the Kingdom grow.
“We race here exclusively in the Gulf region. We’ve also got Saudia, Sabic, and the PIF as partners. Saudi Arabia is an incredibly important partner for us, beyond a race venue. Whenever I arrive in Jeddah, it feels like the welcome is so affectionate, like we are coming to a home race.”
F1 Drivers Hold Conversations with Formula E CEO Over Private Gen4 Test
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has revealed that conversations have been held with some current Formula 1 drivers, who are eager to test the new Gen4 car. Asked by RacingNews365 during an interview if there is an open invitation for Verstappen to test the Gen4, Jeff Dodds said: “100%. Since the Gen4 has been on track in testing, I’ve actually had — and I would never say who they were — conversations with F1 drivers asking, ‘Can I have a go privately? I’d love to have a go.’ Max hasn’t been one of those, but others have.”
Red Bull’s Curious History with Formula E – and Why It May Change
Sam Smith looks at Red Bull’s curious history with Formula E, and why it may change. “There has been no public confirmation that Red Bull or other F1 teams want to engage with teams in Formula E. Yet, there are plenty of independent operations it could easily partner with, be it officially or in the background.”
Porsche has revealed that its second Formula E team will run on a cost-neutral basis, with no additional funding allocated to expanding its presence in the championship. “We have a clear job to do from our board, which we accepted. It must be cost-neutral,” Modlinger said about the second factory team in an interview with Motorsport.com. “This means I will not get additional money, and the rest is up to us how we set up the project.”
Why F1 Teams Can Run ‘Illegal’ Fuels in Testing
Formula 1 teams being allowed to run non-homologated fuels in pre-season testing that would be illegal on race weekends has been a subject of intrigue in recent weeks. The Race explains why F1 teams can run ‘illegal’ fuels in testing.
Getting to the Track Sustainably
The Ferrari Luce Has an Interior Designed by Apple’s Jony Ive
It’s official. The first ever purely electric car to come from Maranello will be called the Ferrari Luce. ‘Elettrica’ was thought to be ‘a little bit of a limitation,’ according to Ferrari Chairman John Elkan, because this car is ‘more than just an electric Ferrari.’ We’ll find out whether he’s right later this year, but based on what we’ve seen so far it’s sure to make some noise in this segment (both literally and figuratively).