The video of Sebastian Vettel promoting cryptocurrency for Aston Martin seems to have rubbed fans the wrong way.
The hazardous environmental impact of NFTs is once more in the spotlight as Aston Martin uses Vettel to promote their crypto sponsors.
NFTs and Cryptocurrency are a major part of F1 sponsorships nowadays. While the first team to partner with Blockchain technology was Williams in 2018, more and more teams are joining hands with different forms of cryptocurrency.
F1 has recently been on a wave of environmental awareness. Adapting new fuels and engines, the sport is doing its best to reduce its carbon footprint. While F1 advocates a green initiative, it is a fact that the increased presence of cryptocurrency is counterproductive.
How is cryptocurrency bad for the environment?
On an estimate, one Bitcoin transaction uses roughly 2,100 KiloWatt Hours (kWh) of electricity. This is the amount of energy an American household usually consumes in 75 days.
According to fairplanet.org, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin can generate exorbitant greenhouse gas emissions when this energy is supplied from non-renewable energy sources. Bitcoin’s annual carbon footprint is comparable to the release of 97.2 megatonnes of carbon dioxide. That is roughly the annual emissions of the whole country of Argentina.
As more people become aware of the harmful effects that cryptocurrency has on the environment, they’re becoming more vocal about its ever-growing presence in the world of Formula 1.
Also read: F1 ranks second after Formula E in the sustainability of global motorsports championships
Using Sebastian Vettel for the promos: oversight or strategic advertising?
Sebastian Vettel has been one of the biggest advocates of the green initiative. while most people just lend empty words to causes, Vettel is one of the few who likes to actively partake in activities that are congruent with his passion for a healthier environment.
This is one of the many reasons why fans across the world respect and like the German driver. His willingness to get his hands dirty for a cause he believes in has earned him a spot in most people’s good books.
i hope the people at AMR understand they have severely disappointed their loyal supporters by promoting these, this goes against everything you have made us believe you stand for as a team.
— mar ♡ (@sebsmars) February 22, 2022
This is what grinds the gears of the fans. The fact that Aston Martin decided to make Vettel promote their sponsors Crypto.com.
Some people are harping on the former Ferrari driver for agreeing to do the promo video. However, most netizens are coming to Vettel’s defence and reminding others that he is contractually obligated to do so.
One can argue that the team preferred using Vettel for the promos as he is the more famous face of the team. However, critics may speculate that Aston Martin hoped on adding some legitimacy to the sponsorship by associating Sebastian to the partnership.
The fans react
Whatever may be the case, the fans are actively voicing their dislike for the partnership. The biggest bone of contention? Using Vettel for the promotion of something which entirely goes against what he personally believes in.
People are kind of losing the handle on the fact that Seb is powerless in all of this. It’s f*cking upsetting that they made him do it, but there’s not much he could’ve done about it, he’s contractually obligated.
— V (@VizorIts) February 22, 2022
Fans nowadays are demanding more accountability from teams and the sport. There have been several controversial sponsorship deals between teams and some businesses before. The most recent example is the partnership between Mercedes and Kingspan. Fan appeals were able to have an impact on that deal. Will such a thing happen in this case? Only time will tell.
