F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Amongst F1 Drivers Investing In Electric Motorsports As Popularity Rises
Formula 1 has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the sport is well on its way to this goal with sustainable fuel coming in for the 2026 season. With the emphasis on more energy efficiency and less environmental impact, electric motorsports are on the rise and now a number of Formula 1 drivers have been heavily investing in the electric sports.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull driver Sergio Perez are just two of the drivers who are helping with the rise in popularity.
Since the popularity of Formula E has been increasing, we have seen the introduction of other electric sports such as Extreme E which is an electric rallying series and E1 which is an electric boat racing series.
Formula E has seen increased viewership since its debut in 2014, especially now that they have made small changes to make for better watching. One change that has pleased fans is the rumoured removal of the Fanboost system. This system gave fans the opportunity to vote for their favourite drivers, the most voted for drivers would then receive a boost in power which brought popularity into the sport rather than it being a more true form of racing.
Jaguar Racing Press Image - Formula E
Hamilton has started an Extreme E team under the name X44. Joining Hamilton with teams in the electric rally series are former F1 drivers Nico Rosberg whose team is Rosberg X Racing, and Jenson Button whose team is JBXE which he will also be driving for.
Perez is supporting E1 by starting a team which will race in the debut year of the electric boating sport.
According to Tesla Reporter, when speaking about starting their teams in Extreme E, Hamilton and Rosberg both said that they wanted to support the sport due to the lower environmental impact and the more sustainable way the sport will be held.