Yamaha makes history at world championship event with unprecedented move: 'There is no doubt that [this sport] is in a time of change'

Yamaha Motor Europe and TotalEnergies recently made history after holding the first world championship motorcycle event to run completely on 100% sustainable fuel.

During the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU SuperFinale, which was held in October in Estoril, Portugal, Yamaha used TotalEnergies Excellium Racing 100 fuel in all competing motorcycles, as reported by SuperBike. ER100 is a certified sustainable fuel made from bioethanol that is produced from wine residues. The fuel has been making waves in the racing world, having already been used in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and holds promise for making the sport more sustainable moving forward.

The change of fuel is great news because motorsports typically have high fuel consumption, which contributes to the pollution of heat-trapping gases. Pollution from gas-powered vehicles is harmful for our health and has been linked to respiratory issues such as asthma.

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Using 100% sustainable fuel means a considerable reduction in pollution, resulting in cleaner air. This leads to a number of benefits for the health of the racing drivers, the fans, and people living in the vicinity of these areas.

Switching to sustainable fuels is just one way the sport is trying to reduce its polluting reputation. For example, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, fans were encouraged to travel to a MotoGP event using public transport, with local train operators making 22,000 extra seats available, as well as bus transfers from Montmeló station. Public transport has also been encouraged at other circuits, as well as food waste reduction and recycling.

Electric cars have also been making waves in the motorsport world with the introduction of Formula E, a motor racing championship using only electric vehicles. This is a great example of how racing can adapt and still be enjoyable. Formula E is the first global sport to achieve net-zero carbon footprint certification.

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The shift to sustainable fuels demonstrates commitments by big companies to incorporate sustainable practices into their operations.

"There is no doubt that motorsport is in a time of change with technical rules across the board moving towards making the sport more sustainable and adopting more environmentally friendly practices," said Yamaha Motor Europe motorsport road racing and research and development manager, Andrea Dosoli, as reported by SuperBike.