McLaren align racing goals with sustainability

Dubai: For McLaren, the goals of becoming the champion racing team and advancing sustainability are perfectly aligned. As the British team edges closer to ending their 26-year title drought, they lead the race for sustainability as well.

“From the perspective of sport, we keep focus and pushing our goal in Formula One. As a team, we aim to put all the right things in place to be able to focus on reducing the time — that’s super important; that’s our focus. If we do all the right things, and we have a great car, we’ll get those results when we go out on track,” Kim Wilson, Director of Sustainability, McLaren Racing, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the inaugural Sport Impact Summit in Dubai earlier this week.

Sustainability as a strategic goal

“We are looking at that model on how we apply it to the world of sustainability as well. So, that idea of a single goal, and then understanding what the biggest things you can do and put in place to drive that positive change, to make the biggest difference, that’s what we’re also applying in the world of sustainability. It is where those two things come together,” she added.

Norris leads McLaren’s title charge

Lando Norris aims to secure McLaren’s first Constructors’ title since 1998 in style, claiming pole position on Saturday ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri for Sunday’s decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris clocked a best lap of one minute and 22.595 seconds, edging out Piastri by two-tenths of a second under the Yas Marina Circuit floodlights. Carlos Sainz, who leaves Ferrari after this race, secured third.

Ferrari, trailing McLaren by 21 points in the Constructors’ Championship, suffered a setback as Charles Leclerc failed to make the top ten shootout and will start at the back of the grid following a 10-place penalty.

“It was a perfect, perfect day for us,” said Norris after securing pole. “Probably a little bit tougher than we were hoping for. We’ve been quick all weekend and are pleased with the one-two, but it was a bit trickier than we’d have liked.

“We’ve got to beat Ferrari — that’s the aim. But we’ve got to do it in style. I want to win! We know what we have to do, so we are keeping our heads down.”

Accelerating towards a sustainable future

McLaren plans to sustain their exceptional form into the next season, driven by five strategic business objectives.

“It’s absolutely the heart of what’s important to us, and that’s for a couple of reasons. One, as a responsible business, we absolutely have to take care of our impacts on the environment and society. But as a sports team, the platform we have, and the reach we have through our fan base, is incredible.

“At McLaren Racing, we collaborate with an amazing ecosystem of partners on sustainability projects. These projects aim to demonstrate that we can deliver solutions faster. That’s what we’re good at in F1 — accelerating solutions. We operate in the research and development space, proving concepts and driving positive change by leading by example,” she explained.

McLaren is committed to halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2040. They have implemented various reduction programs, from switching factory lighting to energy-saving LEDs, which cut 25 per cent of emissions, to addressing the challenges of being a global team with extensive travel requirements.

Sport Impact Summit 2024: Driving Change

The inaugural Sport Impact Summit 2024, held in the presence of Sheikh Suhail Bin Butti Suhail Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Sports Development Sector at the General Authority of Sports, convened over 200 global leaders, dignitaries, and changemakers.

Under the patronage of Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports, the summit provided a platform for impactful discussions, collaborations, and actionable insights.