The ERC has partnered with ETS Racing Fuels for the next three seasons. Here is why it matters for the future of rallying.
The FIA European Rally Championship has announced it will run on 100% advanced sustainable fuel from 2026, partnering with ETS Racing Fuels for at least the next three seasons.
All Rally2 cars competing in the ERC1 category will use ETS Racing Fuels’ Renewablaze O2 R100, a drop-in sustainable racing fuel produced entirely from renewable components. It cuts greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 60% compared to conventional fuel, while the championship insists it enhances rather than compromises engine performance.
The move brings the ERC in line with the FIA World Rally Championship, which already runs on 100% advanced sustainable fuel, and meets the FIA’s targets for sustainable motorsport as set out in the WRC Promoter’s Sustainability Roadbook.
ETS Racing Fuels is the premium motorsport brand of Haltermann Carless, which holds FIA 3-Star Environmental Accreditation, the highest level of environmental recognition the governing body awards. The fuel itself is manufactured in Europe, which the ERC says protects the supply chain from global disruption.
The 74th ERC season opens this weekend at the Andalusia Rally in Spain, running from 17 to 19 April. Of the 53 registered crews, 30 will run Renewablaze O2 R100 in the ERC1 category from the off.
ERC championship manager Rami Virtanen said the impact of the switch would be “positive and immediate.”
He is right to frame it that way. Motorsport has spent years talking about sustainability. The ERC is now doing it, at regional level, on a three-year commitment, starting now.
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