Damon Hill asks F1 to ditch hybrid power units, back the demands for the use of carbon-neutral synthetic fuel

Damon Hill has given a major verdict on what the future could look like for F1 in terms of fuel.

Damon Hill asks F1 to ditch hybrid power units, back the demands for the use of carbon-neutral synthetic fuel

Damon Hill (Credits: AutoSport)

Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 World Champion, got his first taste of driving a kart on full-neutral synthetic fuel, and he has been left very impressed by it. Hill believes that carbon-neutral fuel is the way to go in motorsports and especially considers F1 as the main beneficiary of it if the hierarchy of the sport decides to implement it.

Damon Hill drove a kart with synthetic fuel produced by former F1 technical chief Paddy Lowe‘s company, Zero. The carbon-neutral fuel is made from air and water using renewable energy and can be dropped directly into any engine. Lowe believes his fuel can play a major role in reducing emissions throughout motorsports.

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With his test run, Hill has become the first person to drive a kart with synthetic fuel, and while talking about it, he told AutoSport, “Motorsport is about high-performance vehicles and the entertainment side is key. It is a real technical challenge and what I see as increasingly a problem is the size and weight of the cars – in F1 particularly – in their attempts to be as green as possible.”

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“They are very efficient but they are huge and heavy and that impacts on the nimbleness of the car. It brings us back to the question of whether the practicalities of pursuing all-electric or even hybrid vehicles in this type of competition is a genuine direction.” The 62-year-old has made it clear that he is all in favor of synthetic fuel to be at least tested in F1.

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Damon Hill feels the synthetic fuel run engines produce more performance

Damon Hill (Credits: Autosport)
Damon Hill (Credits: Autosport)

While Damon Hill has suggested that F1 should consider using synthetic fuel in the upcoming years, he has also made it known that synthetic fuel run engines produce better performance. Hill ran both fuels during his recent kart run and said, “It ran like a dream. I thought it was quite zippy! It was the first time I had driven one of these karts and I drove it with both fuels.”

“I do actually feel like the pick-up was slightly better on the Zero fuel. The sound and performance were the same as a normal petrol-powered machine, but as the fuel is made using the same amount of carbon that is emitted when it is used, it makes absolutely no difference to the atmosphere.”

Formula 1 is currently on a mission to become carbon-neutral by the end of 2030, and considering what Hill has said about the new fuel he has tested, it could prove to be the solution the sport is looking for. However, to get the green light at the pinnacle of motor racing, the synthetic fuel would have to go through a plethora of tests and trials. Moreover, that’s only if F1 decides to give it a shot in the upcoming years.

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