At one of the biggest events about hydrogen technology and energy transition in the world, which took place in Monaco, one of the greatest F1 venues, a place that is already well known to racing fans, an unusual situation occurred involving a Prince and a new racing car. The event — and the Prince — brought to light a test of this technology that could transform the sport forever. Find out more about this launch of the car of the future and the event that brought Monaco to the spotlight.
A different start to a traditional event
Have you ever imagined seeing a prince driving an F1 car? Well, that’s exactly what happened in Monaco at the opening of the Monaco Hydrogen Alliance Annual Forum Event. His Royal Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco took the wheel of the Pioneer 25, a hydrogen-powered test car produced by Extreme H.
Extreme H is a program that aims to provide races with hydrogen-powered cars, for the first time in history, in addition to developing research and producing hydrogen-powered cars. Along the same line as Formula E and Extreme E — a competition exclusively for electric cars — this category aims to provide more sustainable, technologically advanced, and less polluting races.
The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, known for being a great advocate of sustainable measures in environmental protection, took this initiative to drive the Pioneer 25 at the opening of the event as a historic demonstration of the potential of hydrogen to revolutionize not only the automotive sector but also racing, with cleaner energy.
Monaco is the stage for the energy transition
One of the current concerns of the Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) — the governing body of sports such as F1 and Extreme H — is how to reduce the carbon footprint of its sports. Following pressure from governments and sponsors, the FIA has adopted a more sustainable agenda and made a massive investment in new, less polluting forms of energy. And even new rules have been established, such as the adoption of electric or hydrogen-powered cars to lessen the impact of gas emissions.
The Pioneer 25 emerges as a response to these circumstances raised by the FIA, the sport’s obligation to think about the energy transition of its cars. The launch of this car at an event like the Monaco Hydrogen Alliance was very timely, as this is one of the largest events in the world about hydrogen technology and accelerating the global energy transition. The Pioneer 25 is a good symbol of the potential of racing sports to lead the way in reducing emissions in the automotive sector.
“As Extreme H showcases, innovation in Motorsport can be a driving force for global progress, inspiring action far beyond the racetrack” – Royal Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The end of an era or the beginning of another?
Although the project was not carried out by F1 but by Extreme H, the two racing categories have a collaboration with each other, and mainly, they share the same objective of reducing the carbon footprint. The impact of the Pioneer 25 will be huge for the automotive industry, including F1, and it will definitely open doors for them to explore new clean technologies as well.
The launch of the Pioneer 25 at the Monaco Hydrogen Alliance and the gesture of His Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, although symbolic, was an important step towards Extreme H, F1, and other racing sports to rethink the future of Motorsport. The launch of this hydrogen-powered car sends an important message to the world: there is room for transformation in the automotive industry and racing sports, and it has already begun.
