Formula E’s Gen4 race car has hit the track, and I have all the details and reactions to it in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have news on the latest Sustainable Championships Index results and much more!
Sustainable Motorsport News
Motorsport Accelerates Towards Net Zero. Formula E, Formula One and MotoGP lead sustainability index
Enovation Consulting, in collaboration with Professor Paolo Taticchi, Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at UCL School of Management, has released the fifth edition of the Sustainable Championships Index™ (SChI™).
The 2026 SChI™ assesses the sustainability performance of 89 four-wheeled and two-wheeled motorsport championships and is based on 25 carefully calibrated sustainability performance criteria across six dimensions of sustainability: Certifications; Accreditations & Awards; Environmental Criteria; Social Criteria; Sustainability Approach; Engagement & Partnerships.
The fifth edition of the SChI™ highlights continued leadership in sustainability among global motorsport championships. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship retains its position at the top of the podium, followed by the FIA Formula One World Championship in second place. The FIM MotoGP World Championship remains in third, with Extreme E & H in fourth position, and the FIA World Rally Championship continues its upward trajectory, moving into the top five, up from eighth place in 2024.
Click here to read the full report.
Can Formula E Revive ‘Forgotten’ Circuits?
In the middle of March, Madrid was abuzz with motorsport-mad fans. Despite Spanish Grand Prix marketing dotted all around the capital city as the new MADRING street circuit prepares to host Formula 1 later this year, all eyes were on Formula E and its return to the Circuito de Madrid Jarama. The Paddock Journal looks into whether Formula E can revive “forgotten” circuits.
Saudi Motorsport Company and Extreme H Announce Strategic Partnership to Drive the Future of Hydrogen Racing in the Kingdom
Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) and Extreme H have announced a strategic commercial partnership together, as part of their joint efforts to advance the innovation of sustainable technologies whilst further establishing Saudi Arabia as a global motorsport hub.
The partnership will see SMC and Extreme H work closely to strengthen the World Cup’s commercial presence across the Kingdom. By leveraging Saudi Motorsport Company’s extensive local expertise and Extreme H’s global reach, the collaboration will unlock new opportunities for partners, stakeholders, and fans.
Extreme H Takes Part in Seminar on Sustainability
With the world’s energy demand continuing to rise amid ever-changing forces, the automotive industry must continue to diversify its technologies to match the broadening global energy mix.
Hosted by Siemens at Red Bull Racing & Red Bull Technology last week, key automotive industry leaders gathered to share their perspectives on the innovation, collaboration and transformation they have been witnessing across the industry.
Speaking amongst representatives from Siemens, Microsoft, Red Bull Racing & Red Bull Technology, INEOS Automotive, BMW Group, Autosports Group and Catena-X, Extreme H’s Chief Championship Officer James Taylor shared how Extreme H has had a technology-first mindset to drive sustainability from its inception.
He also detailed how Siemens technologies supported the creation of the world’s first hydrogen-powered motorsport, and the ever-evolving role hydrogen technologies are playing in the automotive space.
FIA Guidlines for Sustainability In Motorsport
The FIA outlines their contributions to sustainable motorsport in their post on LinkedIn here.
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
A First Look at the GEN4
Unveiled at Circuit Paul Ricard, this is a first look at the machine that will lead the 2026/27 Season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The GEN4 isn’t just an evolution it’s a new benchmark for performance and innovation.
Bridgestone’s Motorsport Pipeline To Greener Tires
Bridgestone’s Firestone brand is a real-world “mobile lab” that serves as a proving ground not only for performance, but for enhanced sustainability—validating renewable and recycled materials under the most extreme conditions. In 2026, Bridgestone’s race tire engineering team will design, develop, and deliver approximately 36,000 tires to be used on the racetracks—that’s a lot of development data. (Nearly 100% of the used tires are recycled or repurposed for new applications beyond the track, including sport surfaces, flooring, and other rubber products.) Forbes has all the details here.
Series News
GEN4 Hits the Track Ushering in a New Era of High-Performance, Sustainable Electric Racing
Formula E and the FIA unleashed the GEN4 car on track in its debut run in front of a select audience at Circuit Paul Ricard, signalling the beginning of a new era for electric motorsport.
This all-new next-generation machine is the car that will be further developed and then raced by the teams and manufacturers in the 2026/27 Season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Capable of reaching speeds in excess of 335kph, 0-100kph in approximately 1.8 seconds, and 0-200kph in just 4.4 seconds – 1.5 seconds faster than its predecessor – GEN4 will deliver 50% more power in race mode than the current GEN3 Evo race car. The GEN4 car will be an average of 10 seconds faster per lap than the GEN3 car in qualifying mode. In ATTACK MODE, GEN4 produces up to 600kW of power, a 71% increase in base output over GEN3 Evo, delivering performance that pushes the limits of electric racing. GEN4 is the only single-seater race car with permanent all-wheel drive.
Here is an overview of coverage on the Gen4’s track debut. Even Max Verstappen thinks that the Gen4 car is cool.
The Gen4: Building The Fastest Formula E Car Ever
From a blank sheet to GEN4 — the most advanced electric race car in history! Debuting in 2026/27, this beast packs 600kW of power (815hp), active all-wheel drive, and cutting-edge tech for wheel-to-wheel battles. 🏎️💨
After 8,000 km of testing, GEN4 is ready to redefine racing. Are you ready for the future?
Dodds: Formula E Helping F1 Understand New Regs, Recent Changes “Very Strong” for Motorsport
Formula E boss Jeff Dodds reckons his championship is helping Formula 1 to understand its new set of regulations which he thinks have been unfairly criticized. Speaking at the all-electric championship’s launch of its incoming Gen4 car, the Formula E CEO said:
“There is a growing interest from the paddock in understanding what the car is, all Formula 1 drivers love driving anything. So there’s an interest in getting to drive the car. I think it’s interesting that there appears to be interest in each other’s series growing for different reasons. F1 in FE because it’s helping them to understand about re-gen, battery recharge, how to drive a different style of car and the F1 drivers are also interested in just having a go in a new electric car that has a lot more power.”
New Formula E Era Backed to Change People’s Minds Amid F1 Regulation Crisis
Formula E veteran Lucas di Grassi has suggested that the sport’s new Gen4 era, combined with Formula 1’s current existential issues, to “change a lot of people’s mentality” on the all-electric championship.
“There are many challenges in the way. But yes, I think not only the Gen4, but the evolution of Gen4 to create a car which is faster than F1. And that’s the ultimate vision, like having the fastest car in motorsport being a F1 car. That will change a lot of people’s mentality. And if I could do one job, apart from racing, that would be it. Like get Formula E to a spot that is faster than F1.”
London at Risk as Formula E Faces Calendar Dilemma in Gen4 Era
When Formula E launched its Gen4 car on Tuesday at Circuit Paul Ricard, a much-discussed paddock topic was the yet to be announced calendar for the 2026-27 campaign when it will make its debut. That is because the all-electric championship faces a dilemma over whether to stick to its mantra of city-centre, street venues, to or visit more traditional and permanent tracks due to the insane performance of its new car. One of the races in its current form at risk is London.
“London in the ExCeL, which is a fan favourite, a race that I really love personally, it’s already tight when those Gen3 Evo cars come out of the indoor section into the outdoor section and they’ve got a tight bottleneck that comes up. You simply won’t be able to do that in a Gen4 car. It would be too dangerous, it would be too complex. It would make for a very complex race.”
Stefano Domenicali Reveals Bold Vision for F1 Engines in 2031
In an electrifying statement that has sent shockwaves through the motorsport community, Stefano Domenicali, the President of Formula 1, has unveiled a daring blueprint for the future of racing engines set for 2031. His vision? A radical shift towards lighter power units, a renewed focus on thermal engines, and the integration of sustainable fuels that could redefine the very essence of what it means to race.
Read more about his vision here.
ERC Commits to 100% Advanced Sustainable Fuel Delivered by ETS
ETS Racing Fuels, the premium motorsport brand of Haltermann Carless, will supply its Renewablaze O2 R100, an advanced, drop-in, 100 per cent advanced sustainable racing fuel to all ERC1 competitors.
Produced from 100 per cent renewable components, Renewablaze O2 R100 reduces greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 60 per cent, while enhancing engine performance without compromising reliability. Selecting this innovative Renewablaze fuel further establishes the ERC as a critical research and innovation platform.
The exciting alliance aligns the ERC with the FIA World Rally Championship, which uses 100 per cent advanced sustainable fuel, and also meets the FIA’s strict targets for sustainable motorsport, while keeping the ERC firmly on track to meet the targets outlined in WRC Promoter’s Sustainability Roadbook.
The E1 Electric-Boat League Generated Even More Buzz in Its Third Season
Can you build a professional racing league on celebrity clout alone? Tom Brady, LeBron James, Will Smith, Rafael Nadal—among a roster of global stars—are betting on it. As team owners in E1, the all-electric powerboat series, they’re promoting it to a combined social-media audience of more than 500 million as an exciting, accessible, and sustainable form of aquatic motorsport.
Read the full article about E1’s third season at Robb Report here.
Getting to the Track Sustainably
