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FIA trials prototype runoff filters at Zandvoort grand prix
Formula 1's governing body is testing new drainage filtration systems at Zandvoort to capture tyre wear and microparticles before they enter local waterways.
By Sanne Vermeer - 2026-08-20T15:32:00.000Z - 2 min read
The Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix is hosting a new environmental research project aimed at trapping waterborne pollution before it escapes the circuit. Developed by the sport's governing body alongside academic and industrial partners, the initiative focuses on intercepting tyre fragments, microplastics and dust washed from the asphalt by rainwater.
While grand prix cars generate only a tiny fraction of total transport emissions compared to public road networks, the controlled environment of a race weekend offers a useful testing ground. Nicolas Aubourg, Head of R&D at the governing body, noted that motorsport can act as a laboratory for trial solutions that eventually benefit everyday road traffic.
The technical setup relies on a collaboration involving the Technical University of Berlin and German engineering start-up Urbanfilter. The project grew out of an introduction via the Audi Environmental Foundation, building on street-drain filtration concepts launched in 2020 to capture roadway contaminants close to their source.
Engineers spent the past year gathering runoff samples at Circuit Zandvoort to analyse the specific particulate makeup generated during race weekends. Those findings led directly to the design of two bespoke prototype filtration units installed ahead of the Dutch event.
Positioned within the circuit drainage network, the dual filters cover roughly 3,300 square metres of track around the pit lane and the opening Tarzanbocht corner. Laboratory testing of the modular system previously demonstrated capture rates of up to 99 percent for waterborne particles while preserving normal stormwater flow rates, with an expected annual maintenance cycle.
The Zandvoort location was chosen due to its coastal proximity, where safeguarding local water quality holds heightened environmental importance, and because European logistics allowed rapid progress from concept to hardware in little over a year. Imperial College London is also involved in the broader research effort, having monitored particle emissions at events including the Belgian Grand Prix and Le Mans.
If the Zandvoort prototypes prove successful under actual racing conditions, project leaders hope to introduce the technology to other circuits on the calendar. Organisers suggest that temporary installations at street tracks could remain in place permanently to help filter everyday urban road runoff once the grand prix departs.