Ahead of the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony, Lewis Hamilton has brutally slammed the motorsports governing body. The Briton has questioned the FIA’s efforts towards sustainability by questioning them about why they are hosting the prize gala in Baku despite having their headquarters in Paris.
The FIA issued a statement via their official website to confirm that the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation (AAF), the City of Baku, and the Baku City Circuit will host the 2023 Prize Giving ceremony. The federation’s decision to host the prize-giving ceremony in Baku did not please Hamilton at all.
As quoted by Deni on X, the 38-year-old said, “I wonder if the FIA is really thinking about sustainability, because so many people are flown here and you are actually sitting in Paris“. Hamilton has questioned the FIA’s efforts towards sustainability since F1 has a goal of achieving net carbon zero by 2030. F1 has been making steady steps to achieve that goal so far, as confirmed by an interview one of the sport’s officials gave earlier this year.
#F1 | Lewis Hamilton questions the FIA efforts towards sustainability as the prize giving gala is hosted in Baku: “I wonder if the FIA is really thinking about sustainability, because so many people are flown here and you are actually sitting in Paris.”
— deni (@fiagirly) December 8, 2023
F1’s head of environmental, social, and governance, Ellen Jones, said (as quoted by Autosport), “Our last carbon footprint was 2021. And that was a 17% reduction based on our 2018 baseline. It’s fantastic“. Hamilton himself has played his part in helping reduce his carbon footprint as well.
Lewis Hamilton has made several efforts to reduce his carbon footprint
Lewis Hamilton has often been very vocal when it comes to issues involving diversity and sustainability. Over the years, he has worked very hard alongside F1 to address these issues.
Moreover, even in his personal life, Hamilton has been making efforts to reduce his carbon footprint. For example, just a few years ago the Briton sold off his private jet.
While the 38-year-old has undoubtedly demonstrated a keenness to help in achieving F1’s goal of net carbon zero, it is pertinent to note that he was also spotted traveling in a private plane a few months ago. The Briton had spent $3,600 to fly to Belgium for the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s other efforts to achieve greater sustainability include adopting a vegan diet and using electrical transport. Moreover, the Mercedes driver has also opened up his own vegan restaurants to achieve this goal.
He along with Hollywood actor Leonardo di Caprio have opened up a vastly popular vegan burger joint called Neat Burger. Their goal to open this chain was to not only promote a plant-based diet but also to do their part in reducing emissions by offering more sustainable options for food.
