At a time when science pleads for a radical reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions and our consumption of resources, but also for a reduction in the place of the car in our societies, should we turn our backs on the formula 1 ? If our governments unreservedly defend the holding of the Montreal Grand Prix, others believe that it is time to put an end to it.
Reflection on the apparent inconsistency of motor racing in today’s environmental context is not limited to environmental groups alone. Last May, as part of the show Question Time, on the airwaves of the BBC, the four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel himself admitted to questioning the subject. “It’s my passion to drive a car, I love it. When I get out of the car, of course, I also think, “Is this something we should be doing, traveling the world, wasting resources?” »
Professor in the Department of Urban and Tourism Studies at UQAM, Dominic Lapointe is unequivocal: it is high time to question this type of show event. “The goal, in the end, is to burn gasoline to be able to create strong emotions by turning cars in circles,” he summarizes.
All the tinsel and the praise of the car associated with this race, which will be highlighted in the Quebec media over the next few days, also reflect, according to him, an “outdated” vision of tourism and of a city like Montreal. “Formula 1 is an event associated with luxury tourism, very ostentatious, with luxury hotels, stars, social events, etc. It’s a sport that follows money. And it’s also a sport that’s associated with car culture. F1 shows us our fascination for this machine which has increased our capacity to act, but also our capacity to harm us. »
While the scientific community pleads for a drastic reduction in our use of natural resources, even a decrease, Yves-Marie Abraham, professor at HEC Montreal and member of the Polémos research group on degrowth, denounces the holding of the Grand Prix. “It’s an event that embodies everything we blame growth companies for. We can only oppose it for obvious ecological reasons. It’s a showcase for the automobile industry that we have to get out of, it burns fuel and promotes speed, when we have to slow down. And money occupies a considerable place there, while we try to put forward the idea of a society in which the accumulation of money would not be an end. »
Researcher at the Institute for Socioeconomic Research and Information, Colin Pratte, for his part, doubts the relevance of the investments of public funds from the three levels of government to maintain the Grand Prix at least until 2031. According to his calculations, between 2009 and the end of the current agreement with the owners of F1, more than 400 million dollars of public funds will be paid to this company, whose market capitalization is close to 30 billion dollars. And this amount does not take into account all the costs associated with the maintenance of the track (nearly 90 million dollars between 2017 and 2020) and the construction of new paddocks (60 million dollars), finished in 2019 and who are already experiencing problems.
Carbon neutrality?
At the City of Montreal, the office of Mayor Valérie Plante unreservedly defends the holding of the event, after two years of cancellation, due to the pandemic. “The City of Montreal has a contract until 2031 to host the Grand Prix, which is a flagship event of the tourist season and the economic effervescence of the city center”, it is argued, while recalling that “the ecological transition is a priority for our administration”. According to a study published last March and carried out during the 2019 Grand Prix, the annual economic impact on gross domestic product is estimated at $63.2 million.
The Minister of the Environment of Quebec, Benoit Charette, for his part welcomes the commitments of F1 in favor of the fight against the climate crisis. “All types of industries must do their part to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. As such, we underline F1’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030,” his office said in a written response.
The organization promises to reduce its carbon footprint to zero by the end of the decade. In 2019, this was estimated at 256,551 tonnes per year, equivalent to the emissions of nearly 105,000 cars. This balance is largely due to logistics and travel around the world (45%), while emissions from racing cars represent only 0.7% of the balance. However, this does not take into account emissions associated with spectators or tourism related to the 22 races held in 20 countries. In addition to the reduction of greenhouse gases, the company has promised measures to reduce its waste production, the use of plastic and the resources needed for cars.
“Patriarchal Virility”
Dominic Lapointe nevertheless wonders about the real value of the industry’s commitments. “Their plan contains a lot of artistic vagueness. We talk about carbon neutrality, but also about offsetting emissions. But this compensation must be used when greenhouse gas emissions cannot be avoided. In the case of F1, we are into conspicuous consumption, so carbon neutrality would be easy to achieve: we don’t need cars running in circles burning petrol. F1 is a form of waste that we are now trying to justify through technological development and principles such as carbon neutrality. »
For the director of national policies at the Climate Action Network Canada, Caroline Brouillette, and the spokesperson for Greenpeace, Patrick Bonin, it is obvious that the “green” speech of the owners of the F1 circuit is not enough. “Holding the Grand Prix sends the wrong message that transportation is not a problem, when in fact it is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec and emissions from this sector do not stop increasing,” says Mr. Bonin.
Yves-Marie Abraham also believes that Montreal is more than ripe for a reflection on the future of racing on Île Notre-Dame. “The Grand Prix may be interesting for tourists, but for Montrealers, it makes no sense. The problem is that we have leaders who are completely caught up in old and completely outdated logics, which make these large gatherings something important for cities. Still, we got the Island Tour [à vélo] recently. It’s much more in line with the needs of Montrealers. »
He further recalls that the Grand Prix is associated with “a kind of patriarchal virility” and an upsurge prostitution, an industry controlled by organized crime. “When will enough of us find this completely indecent? After all, it is the embodiment of everything one should refuse. It is therefore incredible that it is still going on and that an administration like that of Valérie Plante continues to support the Grand Prix. »