FIA to deploy Audi-backed URBANFILTER microplastic filter at F1 Dutch Grand Prix
At the F1 Dutch Grand Prix, the FIA will deploy the URBANFILTER street-drain filter for the first time in top-level motorsport to catch tire-wear microplastics.
- up to 99%
- 2009
- 2020
What Happened
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) will deploy the URBANFILTER concept for the first time in top-level motorsport at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. The smart filter targets microscopic particles from tire wear and other pollutants that accumulate on road surfaces, filtering them out before they enter the water cycle through rain or wind. Installed in street drainage channels, the concept was developed with support from filtration expert GKD and rainwater specialist ARIS.
Since September 2020, the Audi Environmental Foundation has supported the development of smart filters for street drains together with scientists from the Technical University of Berlin and other partners. The foundation, founded in 2009 as a wholly owned, nonprofit subsidiary of AUDI AG, promotes 'Greenovation' projects that use innovative technologies for the sustainable use of natural resources. The URBANFILTER concept has proven its effectiveness through laboratory and real-world tests in major cities such as Berlin and Copenhagen, as well as on an ADAC wet-handling track and a winding thoroughfare. The Audi Environmental Foundation is a pioneer of the URBANFILTER.
up to 99%
Achieved in recent testing at the Zandvoort racetrack, depending on the intensity of the rain and the characteristics of the particles.
- Tire wear
- Brake dust
- Microplastics
- Other pollutants
“We are proud that the FIA is providing this important issue with a global stage and a testing ground under extreme conditions through its involvement in Formula 1. Motorsport is once again proving that it can serve as a technological role model.”
Audi has been competing in Formula 1 with its own factory team since the beginning of this season. A key requirement for entering the premier class of motorsport was the FIA's mandate to use synthetic or biomass-derived fuels, along with a high proportion of electrical energy. Following a comprehensive audit a few months ago, the FIA awarded a three-star environmental certification to Audi's Formula 1 power unit development site in Neuburg – the highest level under FIA guidelines. This certification builds on the existing ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certifications and reflects the Neuburg site's implementation of specific measures, including the use of renewable energy sources for electricity and heat.
Why this matters
The URBANFILTER targets a common but often overlooked source of pollution — particles from tire wear, brake dust, and microplastics that build up on roads and wash into waterways during rain. By deploying it at a Formula 1 race, the FIA gives the technology a global testbed under extreme conditions, and Audi's foundation shows how an urban innovation can scale beyond cities. That could help keep microplastics out of the water cycle in both racetrack and u…
Terms in This Story
- microplastics
- Tiny plastic particles, generally smaller than 5 millimeters, that come from the breakdown of larger plastics, tire wear, and synthetic materials.
- retention rate
- The percentage of particles caught by a filter compared to the total amount that could have passed through.
- Greenovation
- A combination of "green" and "innovation" that refers to projects using innovative technologies to support sustainable use of natural resources.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.