Paddy Lowe has made his return with his company Zero Petroleum in a partnership with Stake F1 Team from 2024 onward.
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber will make another step forward towards a cleaner future as it announces a new partnership with Zero Petroleum, the leading producer of carbon-neutral synthetic fuel made from just air and water.
Using carbon dioxide from air and hydrogen from water, Zero developed and manufactured a whole-blend synthetic, non-biological fuel in a completely fossil-free process. It also opened the world’s first fully featured synthetic fuel plant, near Oxford, UK, and has plans to build a commercial-scale plant that will begin production in 2026.
The partnership with Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber will bring together two brands committed to a sustainable future. Through its parent company, Sauber Motorsport AG, the Formula One team has been carbon-neutral since 2011, while continuing the implementation of processes designed to reduce its overall carbon footprint for both its headquarters and trackside operations.
The partnership also brings together two teams boasting decades of track experience and proven success in the sport. Zero’s CEO is Paddy Lowe, whose career in Formula One spans 32 years and incorporates a role in 12 World Championships and 158 race wins; the company’s team features a number of elite former F1 engineers, bringing the sport’s know-how and innovative attitude into the world of research.
As part of the partnership, Zero’s branding will be featured on the engine cover of Valtteri Bottas’s and Zhou Guanyu’s C44s as they tackle the 2024 Formula One World Championship.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber Team Representative: “The world of Formula One is one of constant innovation, in which boundaries are broken and new frontiers explored. This is even more so when it comes to sustainability: it’s not just the know-how of our sport that can play an important part, but also the ingenuity of the men and women behind every bit of research and development.
“At Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, we take our commitment to sustainability seriously, and our partnership with Zero is another step on the path to 100% carbon-neutral, drop-in synthetic fuel. Both Zero and Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber are new names in Formula One – there’s nobody better placed to explore technical solutions the world has never seen before.”
Paddy Lowe, Zero CEO: “As Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber begins the 2024 season with a fresh new identity, it’s clear that the team is embracing forward thinking on and off the track. Zero has implemented F1 values into everything we do, from our technical approach to our relentless pursuit of peak performance, and we look forward to discovering even greater synergy by working with Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber and their superb drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. When a team’s partnership roster includes a Guinness-World-Record-holding synthetic fuel company alongside rap superstar Drake, you know they’re serious about expanding the sport to new audiences.”
Damon Hill, F1 World Champion and Zero investor: “I was keen to join Zero as an early investor because I believe in Paddy’s mission and his undeniable credentials – in the short time since, the progress they’ve made has been nothing short of remarkable. It comes as no surprise to me that Zero is teaming up with Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber to support their 2024 campaign, as the pace of Zero’s development and drive toward net zero is comparable only to that found in Formula One. The sport is in good hands with Zero and Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber joining forces, and I look forward to the coming season with even more interest.”
[Note: The story is as per press release]
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