Banbury based racing team earns Three-Star of Excellence for sustainability

A Banbury based racing team has earned a Three-Star of Excellence award for sustainability by the FIA.

Mahindra Racing and its Formula E team has received the highest sustainability accolade by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), motorsport’s governing body.

The Three-Star Accreditation translates as best practice. By awarding Mahindra Racing with the accolade, the FIA recognises that the team, which was the first OEM to commit to the world’s first all-electric racing championship, demonstrates best practice and commitment to seek continual improvement through the implementation of an environmental management system.

Mahindra Racing is only the second motorsport team in the world to receive Three-Star, in addition to McLaren Racing Formula 1 Team.

Mahindra Racing’s efforts are, and will continue to be, in tandem with Mahindra Group’s commitment and quest to achieve group-wide carbon neutrality.

Under the Mahindra Hariyali initiative, the group aims to increase the green cover by planting more trees and providing livelihood and nutritional security with a commitment to plant one million trees every year. With the annual commitment of one million trees met this year, the plantation stands at 18 million trees over the last 13 years. Hariyali means ‘greenery’ in Hindi.

The team’s news comes just days after Formula E, which becomes a World Championship for the first time in the upcoming season, announced it has become the first sport to achieve a net zero carbon footprint dating back to inception. This announcement from the sport was also key to Mahindra Racing, as it means that the team has a net zero carbon footprint on all race and test events, including freight, travel, event operations and race car production.

Chairman Anand Mahindra has been an outspoken advocate of seizing the business opportunities associated with climate change.

Dilbagh Gill, CEO and team principal, said: “Sustainability is not a buzz word for us. It is ingrained into our ethos and a big part of the reason we are racing in Formula E; working to develop and promote cutting edge EV technology and to promote the ‘race to road’ programme to improve the next generation of consumer electric vehicles. Our parent company Mahindra Group is a pioneer in the development of electric vehicles.

"Formula E is an integral part of Mahindra’s vision to develop advanced yet affordable EV products. Over the six years of the Formula E project to date, we have been working tirelessly not only on our racing programme, but on walking the walk, in terms of our sustainability talk.

"I could not be prouder of the team for the hard work and dedication, which has now resulted in this historic moment of receiving Three-Star accreditation from the FIA. 2020 has been incredibly tough and, for me, it is a special moment to be able to take a huge positive from the most challenging of situations.”

Jean Todt, FIA president, said: “Energy efficiency is in the DNA of the FIA and Formula E and this new step forward is another proof of our commitment to environmental best practice. I now urge the other teams to walk in the footsteps of Mahindra Racing.”