The world has gradually been transitioning to clean energy solutions as part of the global mission to mitigate the effects of global warming. This mission has resulted in a complete overhaul of the mobility sector, with revolutionary technology at the forefront. Now, F1’s future will be rewritten by a hydrogen lineup, showing that the plug-in dream has eventually thinned out. Not only does it open a new world of racing for fans, but it also opens a new approach to sustainable racing.

The plug-in dream has been thinning out

Plug-in vehicles, specifically electric vehicles (EVs), suddenly gained extreme popularity in the mobility sector as consumers became more conscientious about sustainability and protecting the environment. According to the IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2025, at the end of 2024, there were almost 58 million EVs on the roads across the world.

The figures are impressive, especially considering the disadvantages that are still associated with EVs. According to Corizo, some of these disadvantages include, but are not limited to:

EV battery production requires rare metals, which can have an environmental impact
Disposal and recycling of used EV batteries present a significant environmental and logistical challenge
Most EVs have a shorter driving range on a single charge
Batteries perform less efficiently in cold temperatures
EVs have long charging times

A very popular racing series has been using hybrid plug-ins for these very reasons. However, it seems as if the plug-in dream is thinning out for good, as a new lineup could rewrite the entire future of F1!

Rewriting the future of F1 racing with this lineup

2025 is a year of firsts, as it features the world’s first off-road hydrogen motor racing championship, called the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the FIA Formula One World Championship and Extreme H. To show its dedication to integrating hydrogen into racing, plans were also announced to unite a Hydrogen Working Group.

Objective of the Hydrogen Working Group

Between F1, the FIA, and Extreme H, the group will monitor advancements and expansions of hydrogen technology for fuel cells and battery systems, which will feature in Extreme H’s first-generation racing frame. It will also keep track of hydrogen technology within:

Race site infrastructure
Transportation
Charging
Storage and management
Safety implications

“It’s a ground-breaking initiative and we look forward to collaborating with Formula 1 and Pat both technically and operationally, as we continue to champion new technologies and break boundaries on behalf of motorsport, with hydrogen at the forefront.” – Mark Grain, Technical Director, Extreme E

Benefits of turning to hydrogen as a fuel

Extreme E, with FIA, has agreed that the hydrogen series, Extreme H, should become an FIA Championship with the intention of becoming an FIA World Championship from 2026, as per the Extreme E official website. This could make for some interesting racing, as there as quite a few benefits to turning to hydrogen as a fuel.

According to the BMW Group, they advocate for hydrogen cars for these reasons:

They produce water and zero other emissions
They have fast refuelling times and offer longer driving ranges compared to EVs
They don’t require the mining and processing of materials like lithium, unlike EVs
Versatile applications varying from commercial trucks and buses to passenger vehicles, and now racing

As the beloved world of F1 racing takes on new ventures, we could soon see more cars featuring these F1 specs on the racing tracks. According to Extreme E, there is already a strong alliance between F1 and Extreme E, as three of the latter’s teams are owned by F1 World Champions Sir Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button. As they await the relevant approvals from the FIA World Motor Sport Council, this new venture shows the series’ commitment to growing towards its hydrogen-powered future.

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