F1 as a Force for Good – Innovation Beyond the Track

This is Part 2 of Brigitte Hill's reflection on F1 innovation, inspired by her meeting with young enthusiast Noah. Read Part 1 here →

F1 and motorsport look up and out – and the technological and strategic developments aren't just of benefit to motorsport. They benefit many other sectors too, with transformational cross-fertilisation. F1 really does pride itself on providing a forward-thinking platform for transferrable future innovation, making it ever more relevant to what is happening in the world and of mutual benefit to all.

Providing a forward-thinking platform with mutual benefit to all.

F1's new 2026 regulations are more focused on driver skill and targeted at giving fans closer, more exciting racing – a ‘nimble car’ concept reducing size and weight for a more dynamic car with active aerodynamics, very low drag on the straights, and an on-demand burst of battery power for overtaking.

The 2026 power unit builds on the world's most efficient hybrid engine previously used in F1. By removing the Motor Generator Heat Unit and increasing electric power by almost 300%, while running on fully sustainable fuels, it is the most road-relevant power unit yet seen in F1.

As Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, said: “The new sustainably fuelled hybrid power unit presents a huge opportunity for the global automotive industry. The drop-in fuel has the potential to be used by cars around the world and dramatically cut emissions.”

In addition to Ferrari, Mercedes and Honda, 2026 sees the arrival of Audi and Red Bull Ford Powertrains – all seeing F1 as an imperative proving ground.

So how does F1 help other sectors?

Toothpaste manufacture, London buses, and supermarket fridges using aerodynamic expertise to stop cold air seeping out – saving energy and keeping surrounding areas warm for customers – have all called upon F1.

But amongst the most heartfelt applications are these two:

Project Pitlane

When the coronavirus pandemic put the F1 calendar on pause in 2020, the teams set aside their intense rivalries and harnessed their technological capabilities to help create a life-saving breathing device. Working alongside the UK government, they reverse-engineered existing medical devices and designed a new ventilator. A process that would normally take two years was completed in just four weeks.

Paediatric Surgery at Great Ormond Street

In 2001, two colleagues from Great Ormond Street Hospital noticed the similarities between the efficiency of a pit stop and the crucial process of moving an infant after heart surgery. McLaren and Ferrari – historically two of the most intense rivals in sport – joined forces to share their knowledge. Once pit-stop principles were applied in the hospital, technical errors fell by 42%, and the procedure was recommended to hospitals across the UK.

The passion and ingenuity of F1 is ingrained in it.

My father was investing in solar power in the 1970s. Even then he could see the way it was going with fossil fuels – that they are a finite commodity, not sustainable, and damaging to air quality. And so he looked to the sky, as was his way, and saw that the power of the sun was a more sustainable alternative.

[Image: School project image from that time.]

The project Noah Cooks F1 hopes to inspire parents and young generations

And in Noah's case, it is clearly working. To quote Noah's father Federico, from Childhood Education's Real World Learning article Fuelling Curiosity: How Formula 1 Racing Sparked an Educational Adventure – Noah attended a Montessori preschool focused on cosmic education, “an approach that aims to give children a unified view of the world and foster a deep sense of wonder.”

Noah has since been invited to attend STEM events in Naples, and his project Noah Cooks F1 hopes to show how a child's passion can help them flourish – in Noah's case through motorsport, enhancing memory, design, maths, science, creativity, imagination, communication and confidence.

You never know – maybe one day we'll see a hybrid F1 power unit powered by sustainable fuels, kinetic energy units harvesting solar power, and fuel cells using hydrogen. Hydrogen Electrolysers won Earthshot's inaugural 2021 prize for Fix Our Climate.

Now that's a thought. Alchemy, magic and more.