Three, two one... net zero

Full disclosure: As NetApp’s chief technology geek and a Formula 1 enthusiast, it’s only natural that I’m ridiculously excited about the work we’re doing with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One^TM Team (AMF1). Fold in the sustainability angle and I’m a full-on fanatic.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Way back in 2019, which now feels like a decade ago, Formula 1 commissioned an environmental assessment. The results were sobering: F1’s annual racing season was generating over 250,000 tons of CO₂ emissions. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the equivalent of a quarter million flights between New York and Paris. Round trip.

Not particularly known for standing still, F1 decided to act, setting an ambitious—but necessary—target: achieving net zero emissions by 2030. Part of what makes the effort challenging is that it requires collaboration among every element of the racing ecosystem, from teams to drivers to fans and well beyond.

Harnessing the cloud and FlexPod for sustainability

Here’s where NetApp comes in. As a key partner of the AMF1 team, we’re contributing to its sustainability efforts along multiple dimensions:

• Monitoring and minimizing power consumption in manufacturing. In AMF1’s new “smart factory”, NetApp^® Cloud Insights technology helps consolidate the company’s older, less efficient systems and provides essential temperature and power monitoring.
• Tapping into cloud. Teaming with NetApp, AMF1 can easily tap into resources from the world’s leading cloud providers, supporting different workloads with powerful cloud infrastructure as needed. This means that only the computing power that’s needed is employed, and no more.
• Reducing emissions and boosting efficiency. With NetApp FlexPod^® technology, AMF1 can support operations at the track remotely, driving down both costs and emissions. Plus, the high-performance FlexPod platform boosts overall efficiency, allowing the organization’s IT team to do more with less.
• Data protection at the factory. AMF1 uses NetApp Cloud Backup Service to protect the vital data and workloads. These resources power the factory and provide the engineers the telemetry data they need. This cloud-enabled data allows sophisticated analyses and helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with on-premises backup.

The sustainability journey continues

At NetApp, we’re thrilled to be a part of the larger Formula 1 net-zero initiative. As we continue to build our partnership with AMF1, our efforts to advance the team’s sustainability strategy will likewise evolve. I look forward to sharing the story as it continues to unfold. We’re keeping our sustainability pedal to the metal!

Watch the video to find out how NetApp helps AMF1 reduce its energy consumption by tapping into cloud and simulation.