One is simply that the engine manufacturers want efficiency to be a relevant factor, because it aids in their R&D and marketing efforts. With a fuel limit in place, F1 becomes a showcase for both performance and efficiency.

Another vital reason is to limit speed and cost. Back in the 1980s, F1 was in the midst of a turbocharger-driven arms race. Manufacturers were adding more and more boost, which had a severe impact on both costs and safety. The high levels of boost severely stressed the engines, so teams were replacing the entire engine after a single race. Many teams were using "qualifying special" engines that were built with a lifespan of just five laps. The extra power was creating dangerously high speeds and the effects of turbo lag made the power delivery of these engines very erratic and difficult to control.

Many other racing formulas use a restrictor plate - a metal flange with a hole of a specified diameter that restricts the air intake of the engine, creating a hard limit on maximum power.

Very short: they made the plate warp when in place and return to standard when the intake hose was removed for inspection.

Interesting hack.

Once upon a time, F1 used to be a "anything goes" series where the best in the world competed to build the fastest racing cars in the world. This stopped when it became easily possible to build a car that was simply too fast for a human to drive.

Since then, the racing series has piled on rules and restrictions meant to limit what the cars can do. Since the gasoline engine is hard capped, and they allowed adding an electric engine on top of that, you now need to use one to compete.

That's true of almost all auto racing today. Powerplants can deliver more power than anyone can use. Now it's all about keeping the wheels on the ground.

The second is that F1 has been carbon neutral for at least two decades with the FIA planting trees to offset the extraordinary amount of pollution that flying the F1 circus around the world generates. Even though reducing fuel does nothing to make F1 greener when you take into account the carbon generated by transportation it is important that the actual show is as green as possible.

In bet now it's way more energy demanding than before just because there are way more people involved.

More journalists/media and many more support staff to work on hybrid tech.

To me it just underscores the disparity between the feel-good green energy and the actual carbon footprint people generate. For example, it's a lot more "green" to not own a car than to own a Tesla.

I wish they kept racing a purely fun driver-focused endeavor and got rid of most of the electronics and hybrid tech.

And for those who love the tech maybe have a separate competition of self-driving electric vehicles.

Also, petrolheads aren't the most environmentally conscious so F1 is being a good citizen of the world by promoting green tech. Even if it's very much do as I say not as I do.