F1 and the World (Part 7) - Conclusion - A summary of our findings across this seven-part mini series
Published by Christine
This is F1 and the World, a mini series brought to you by Sidepodcast. We’ve been looking at how Formula 1 fits into the world around it, from the environmental effects to the economical benefits. Now we have covered all our topics, it’s time to rustle up a quick conclusion to our findings.
There’s no denying that Formula is not the healthiest sport on the planet for the planet. It does use up resources and energy, but what we’ve learned in these six shows so far, will hopefully go some way to defending it.
The FIA are fully aware of the impact F1 has on the world around it and are doing their best to reduce any negative side effects of the sport. They already have projects on the go, both for the environment and for road safety, and where they can see gaps, they are looking to the future with new technologies and extensive research.
Individual team efforts vary across the grid, with Honda appearing to make the most effort. Their Earth Dreams initiative has raised large amounts for green charities and looks set to continue. However, other teams do their bit, reducing waste and looking for any way to tighten up their procedures and make things that little bit better.
Whilst Formula 1 is both a sport and big business, it also has relevance to the road car industry as well. Many manufacturing giants are involved in F1 and the research and development they do for the track can be transferred into the cars that you and I are driving every day. Of course we’re not going to be driving around at hundreds of miles an hour, or at least I hope not, but anything that can make our road experience a little bit easier is good in my book.
We also covered the potential revenue brought to a country when Formula 1 signs on the dotted line. The increased exposure for a country can be unprecedented and is difficult to achieve by any other means. It’s all about the added tourism which means a boom to the economy, development escalates, unemployment levels go down.
F1 is an easy target but there are other sports that shouldn’t get away lightly. Think of football. How many games are on a weekend? And how many fans are travelling to those games in a car? That’s needless fuel consumed travelling up and down the motorway. F1 is a global sport, and therefore the majority of fans are watching on their TVs, at home, not using a single ounce of petrol. This isn’t about passing the buck, but it’s too simplistic to pick on a sport simply because it uses up fuel. We need to take into account the bigger picture.
Personally, I would defend Formula 1 against any environmentalist.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series looking at the effect F1 has on the world. I may not have convinced you that F1 is the greenest sport on the planet, but then I wasn’t trying to. Hopefully, I’ve just brought some of the benefits of the sport to your attention and you can watch the races with a new set of facts behind you.
If you have any comments, feedback, anything you think I may have missed, please let me know via the usual methods. Leave a voicemail on 0121 28 87225, visit the Facebook group – just search for Sidepodcast, or send me an email christine@sidepodcast.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Theme Music: No Plastic Inside, Around the World
