Formula 1 “will never switch to electric”, Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive officer of the motor sport group, said in an interview published by Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore on Sunday (Feb 19).

To help lower emissions, F1 is developing a zero-emission petrol that “could be used by planes and vessels” as well, Domenicali said. 

The successor of Bernie Ecclestone criticised politicians for setting impossible energy-transition targets and for having an ideological approach to electric, which has become “an indisputable dogma”. 

“It’s possible to reach zero emissions without changing engines or throwing away existing cars,” Domenicali told the newspaper.

This week, the European Parliament signed off on a deal reached with member states last year that requires carmakers to reach a zero-emission target by 2035 and to cut pollution levels by 55 per cent this decade.

Acquired in 2017 by US-based Liberty Media Corp in a US$4.4 billion deal, Formula 1 has embarked under Domenicali on a plan to both expand its popularity and its geographical reach, especially in the US. Bloomberg

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