Formula 1’s pursuit of performance has long been measured in milliseconds – but now, the sport’s race against time extends to its environmental impact.
Behind the global travel that powers 24 grands prix each season, F1 and its partners are redefining what efficiency looks like.
PwC was announced as an Official Consulting Partner of F1 in April, and since then, the two organisations have quietly transformed the sport’s race logistics operation.
In a recent case study, PwC revealed how it integrated digital twins, predictive modelling and sustainability analytics into F1’s freight planning – technology that now informs everything from cargo routing to aircraft utilisation and packaging design.
It has used data and cloud technology to cut freight emissions by up to 50% while improving operational resilience, with the collaboration built on the shared goal of helping F1 meet its self-imposed Net Zero 2030 target.
“Because PwC embedded themselves with our teams, they understood our business and operations from the inside out – and it showed in the insights they delivered,” said Ian Stone, Director of Transport Logistics and Cargo at Formula 1.
Because PwC embedded themselves with our teams, they understood our business and operations from the inside out
Ian Stone, Director of Transport Logistics and Cargo at Formula 1
The result is a system capable of simulating every freight movement before it happens, allowing the sport to test low-carbon options in real time. For a championship that crosses five continents, the gains are significant – both in efficiency and emissions reduction.
The work began with a detailed assessment of F1’s race operations, capturing how equipment, technology, and personnel move between venues. That documentation became the foundation for a series of digital operating guides on how to pack, route, and maintain the massive event infrastructure kits that turn temporary circuits into world-class venues.
Each of these kits includes over 40 miles of fibre cabling, camera towers, hospitality structures, timing systems, and signage. Historically, they were flown to races around the world before returning to the UK for maintenance – an approach that was fast but environmentally costly.
A PwC-designed future-state model charts a smarter course: seven rotating kits shipped primarily by sea, reducing air freight emissions, cutting costs, and improving operational flexibility.
It’s a logistics innovation that doesn’t just make sense on paper but also represents a tangible step towards sustainability without sacrificing performance or speed.
As F1 continues to innovate on and off the track, the lessons from these transformations could redefine not just race operations, but the environmental impact of global sport as a whole.
