Toto Wolff outlines Mercedes’ sustainability strategy at Energy Asia conference

Energy Asia took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to advance Asia’s Net-Zero ambitions and deliver an opportunity for policy makers, industry captains and energy professionals to share expertise.  

Spanning three days, 26-28 June, the PETRONAS-organised event provided thought-provoking leadership discussions, a showcase of cutting-edge technology and solutions, and a focus on encouraging a responsible energy transition.  

Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, and Technical Director James Allison attended events throughout the three-day conference. This included providing their own professional insights on the Mercedes team’s sustainability journey, including both challenges and initiatives. 

During a luncheon talk, Toto Wolff discussed his thoughts on leadership lessons within Formula 1. Curated by Atul Arya, Ph.D. (Senior Vice President and Chief Energy Strategist, S&P Global Commodity Insights), the discussion allowed Wolff to provide an outstanding voice and showcase his expertise in worldclass leadership. This was followed a fireside chat at PETRONAS Energy Park.  

Wolff commented: “As a Team, we are all in on sustainability and embedding it in everything we do. PETRONAS share a similar ethos and it was therefore fantastic to both attend and speak at the inaugural Energy Asia. There were fascinating discussions and insights, and I have no doubt that it has already secured its place as one of the key global industry events. Thank you to PETRONAS for their commitment, for bringing us together, and for giving the topic the time it deserves.” 

Meanwhile, Technical Director James Allison delivered a fascinating conversation discussing the minuscule percentages that teams work with to improve a car’s performance and the team-wide effort spanning the breadth from manufacturing, design, testing to practice. He further examined the spirit of competition, the commitment of the sport to move towards carbon neutrality, and the key role of innovation.  

Allison explained: “Innovation is at the heart of what we do in our sport. We’re a Team of pioneers and problem solvers and it was therefore captivating to spend time with, and talk to, innovators from other industries. These qualities are also central to the extension of our title sponsorship with PETRONAS as we bring forward the sustainable fuel needed for the next generation of F1 power units. Energy Asia is a fantastic platform to have discussions around how this mindset can help tackle some of the wider challenges we face; I have no doubt it will continue to go from strength-to-strength.”