The cutting-edge development of advanced sustainable fuel

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• Episode three of the PETRONAS ’Road to 2026’ technical content series explores the latest development in the use of advanced sustainable fuel being used in F1 from next season onwards.
• The full video can be viewed here, with downloadable assets including imagery here. All assets can be used rights-free.

As F1 accelerates toward a more sustainable future, the third episode of the ‘Road to 2026’ series explores the cutting-edge development of advanced sustainable fuel. This instalment highlights the collaborative efforts between the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and PETRONAS ahead of next year’s seismic regulatory changes, as together we push the boundaries of fuel technology.

Subject matter experts from the team and PETRONAS share their perspectives on the evolution of their technical partnership, and how they are developing advanced sustainable fuel to power the next generation in the sport.

The episode features exclusive insights from with:

• Hywel Thomas, Managing Director – Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains
• Chan Ming-Yau, Principal (Fuel Technology) – PETRONAS
• Chandramalar Muthiah, Principal (Fuel Technology) – PETRONAS
• Alice Ashpitel – Head of Sustainability – Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team

Developed in close collaboration between the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and PETRONAS, advanced sustainable fuel is derived from non-food biomass, municipal waste or renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) and designed as a drop-in solution that aims to deliver the same, if not better performance. Matching the fuel precisely to the Power Unit ensures efficient combustion output, helping to meet the extreme demands of racing while aligning with Formula One’s sustainability ambitions.

Driving the next generation of racing, PETRONAS is formulating a fuel that delivers a smoother, more powerful and responsive drive comprising of advanced sustainable components that have been specifically engineered to meet the latest Power Unit design. This innovation is complemented by PETRONAS Syntium engine oil and PETRONAS Tutela functional fluids, tailored to manage elevated thermal loads and electrical demands while delivering peak performance under the new regulations.

The third episode, The Science of Advanced Sustainable Fuel, is available now, rights-free, across all Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and PETRONAS digital platforms.

Mercedes-Benz Advanced Lighting Testing Center Opened: Endurance Testing on a Rough Road Track in the Heide

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• Just opened: Most advanced light testing centre with a realistic country road replica
• Robots at the wheel: Fully automated endurance testing on a demanding rough-road track
• ‘Digital twin’: All test modules can also be used digitally for preliminary simulations
• A world of testing in Immendingen: Over 30 modules across 86 kilometres of road-simulating track
• Animal helpers: Sheep prevent scrub encroachment, llamas protect the herd
• Anniversary: Ten years ago, the ground-breaking ceremony for this unique development environment took place

With the new, state-of-the-art light testing centre, designed for versatile use, Mercedes‑Benz is once again expanding the diverse testing capabilities of the Global Proving Ground Immendingen. At 135 metres long and eight metres high, the new light testing centre ranks among the largest of its kind in the automotive industry. It enables detailed testing of headlight systems under constant, reproducible conditions – independent of time of day, weather or environmental influences. 

A complete country road is authentically recreated over 135 metres. In addition, the asphalt mixture was specially developed to replicate the reflective properties of an aged road as closely as possible. Up to five cars can be tested in parallel – including the simulation of oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead. Reflector posts can be deployed at the sides of the road in 20-metre increments and pedestrian dummies can also be flexibly integrated. The investment in the light testing centre amounts to 10.5 million euros, with a construction period of two years. 

Automation meets resilience: Driverless Heide durability circuit

With its high-tech testing facilities and advanced testing methods, the Global Proving Ground Immendingen continues to set new standards across the industry. This also includes the so-called automated Heide durability circuit. In this test, driving robots steer the test vehicles completely autonomously along a rough-road track. The track’s potholes, bumps and cobblestones pose a particular challenge for the chassis and body. 

The automation of this process increases the precision of driving manoeuvres, reduces the strain on human test drivers, enables 24/7 operation and significantly accelerates testing – all while maintaining the same level of stress on the cars. Depending on the vehicle type, the test vehicles must complete up to 6,000 kilometres on this circuit, which is equivalent to 300,000 kilometres of customer driving. This means that one kilometre on the Heide durability circuit is equivalent to 150 kilometres on an extremely poor road, littered with deep potholes, among other things. The test module is named after a very challenging rough-road track in the Lüneburg Heath dating back to the 1950s. 

Consistent digitisation: more efficient, faster and more sustainable testing

As with all test modules at Immendingen, the Heide durability circuit also has a “digital twin”. The proving ground is digitally mapped down to the sub-millimeter level, and vehicles and their loads are digitally mirrored. This data is used in preliminary simulations, serves as load spectra for test benches and thus enables test results to be quickly fed back to the development departments. Today, this digital testing is so precise that often many thousands of kilometres are driven digitally before the first real test kilometre is driven on the test site. 

In concrete terms, this means that, for example, in chassis tuning for each new model series, more than 100 different variations are tested digitally. Only the most suitable variants are then installed in a prototype and tested physically in Immendingen. One of Immendingen’s greatest advantages is precisely this: almost all test requirements for real-life testing – apart from snow, ice and extreme heat – are consolidated at a single location.

“The Immendingen Test and Technology Centre is the first digitised Mercedes‑Benz proving ground – here, real and virtual vehicle testing merge seamlessly. By digitally mapping the proving ground, using automated test programmes and employing state-of-the-art sensor technology, we are making vehicle development more efficient, faster and more sustainable than ever before.”