SUPPLY CHAIN
Alice is working towards embedding sustainability alongside innovation to drive positive impact throughout the business .
“ While sustainability is a significant challenge for every organisation , in the global context , ultimately the carbon footprint of any Formula 1 team is minuscule ,” says Bradley Lord , Chief Communications Officer for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team .
“ The opportunity we have is to use our enormous platform to develop and amplify technologies and demonstrate that sustainable mobility solutions and performance go hand in hand .”
Despite the naturally competitive nature of Formula 1 , the teams work with each other and Ellen Jones , Head of ESG at Formula 1 , to make the sport more sustainable .
“ I ’ ve worked with Ellen since day one ,” Alice shares .“ She joined not long before me and set up a network for all of the sustainability professionals at each of the teams to meet regularly and discuss challenges and collaboration .
“ While that ’ s a fairly new way of working for Formula 1 , I now know my counterpart at other teams . I think we all recognise the importance of driving positive change across the grid . Collaboration is essential and I think we ’ ll continue leaning into this , which is I think exactly the way it needs to be for all things sustainability .
“ If Formula 1 can do this , so can many other sports and teams .”
“ WE ’ VE GOT A GROUP OF ENGINEERS HERE WHO LOVE TWO THINGS – WINNING AND COMPLEX PROBLEMS . AND WHAT ’ S A MORE COMPLEX PROBLEM THAN SUSTAINABILITY ?”
ALICE ASHPITEL HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE TEAM
While communication between teams is a crucial part of boosting sustainability within Formula 1 , the sport has been sharing its innovations in the technology space with wider industries since its inception .
Thanks to developments from McLaren in the 1970s and 1980s , carbon fibre is now widely used in road car chassis . Buttons on steering wheels , adaptive suspension and DOHC engines were all first introduced on racing cars and can now be found in many road vehicles . Technology created for car racing can be found in hospitals too – data management , sensors and efficiency . “ The unique opportunity we have as a sports team isn ’ t just to provide a platform for and to advocate for change ,
122 August 2024