LEWIS HAMILTON SPOKE out today against a planned deforestation needed to build a new Formula One circuit in Rio de Janeiro to host future Brazilian Grands Prix.
Speaking at an official pre-race news conference ahead of this weekend’s Eifel Grand Prix, the six-time world champion supported the environmentalist opposition to the proposals.
“My personal opinion is that the world doesn’t need a new circuit,” said Hamilton, who this weekend is bidding to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Grand Prix wins.
“I think there’s plenty of circuits in the world that are great. I love Interlagos. I have been to Rio and it’s a beautiful, beautiful place… I don’t know all the details.
“I heard that potentially it’s going to be sustainable, but the most sustainable thing you can do is not tear down any trees — particularly in a time where we’re fighting a pandemic and there continues to be a global crisis around the world.
“I don’t think with deforestation and everything — I don’t think it’s a smart move. I don’t have the details of why, but it’s not something I personally support.”
Hamilton, a keen environmentalist, said that he had hoped not to have to answer a question on the subject less than two weeks after his controversial exit from the Russian Grand Prix.
Formula One plans to add a race at the proposed new circuit, at the disused Deodoro military base, to the calendar and has agreed a deal with the promoter to stage the planned event. The current contract with Interlagos to host the Brazilian event in Sao Paulo is due to expire this year.
The proposed Deodora circuit is planned to be in a forested area where a reported 70,000 trees would have to be felled to allow construction to go ahead, but local promoter Rio Motorsports said they will be replaced ten-fold.
“The suppression of these 70,000 trees will be compensated by planting another 700,000 trees, part of them within the land itself, which will make the area with vegetation larger than it is today,” said Rio Motorsports in a statement.
A deal for Rio Motosports to host the race is agreed with Formula One subject to the promoter being granted permission to build the track.
Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella break down Andy Farrell’s latest 35-man Ireland squad and welcome the news that Joe Schmidt is back in the game:
https://soundcloud.com/user-200743868/cooney-cut-fresh-faces-prop-problems-and-picking-irelands-back-three
The lad has a bigger carbon footprint than some whole nations, and he’s goes around virtue signalling, like he’s the new Messiah…
@Thefallguy: but jesus could walk on water
@Thefallguy: he is not wrong in this case thou , joke of a decision
@Thefallguy: virtue signalling? Climate change isnt about virtue you spanner. Would be interesting to see f1 go electric though.
@Rudiger McMonihan: formulaE??
Jebus, this tool is hard to listen to
They would be better off planting trees on these race track. Totally irrelevant sport
@Seagoat returns: Why is it irrelevant, because you don’t watch it?
@Mark: because it is incredibly unrelatable and elitist. It is not relevant as a sport for most, is it even technically a sport
@Seagoat returns: it’s a motorsport , so yes , hardly irrelevant but as a fan of the sport I see a dim future for the sport in the decades ahead, Honda pulling out of the sport and this story finally making it to the media even thou f1 fans have know about this for a while and its frustrating to see people make these kind of decisions when as Hamilton already said we have enough tracks in the world, they can always be modified to suit as years go by