Apart from the issue of racial discrimination and inclusivity, environmentalism is also very close to Lewis Hamilton‘s heart. He has never shied away from calling F1 out for their enormous carbon footprint and emissions in the past. The Briton lays a heavy emphasis on himself to bring a change in the sport through his activism. However, the latest statement from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali might not be too reassuring to the Mercedes main man.

When the FIA released the new regulations for the 2022 season, Hamilton raised the issue of them making the cars heavier and wider. He highlighted how that was the opposite of the direction that sport should be taking. The resultant increase in power consumption really irked him. He even contemplated quitting the sport to register his protest but decided against it eventually.

The European Parliament signed an agreement recently that mandates the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. The new law even stipulates that the cars sold from 2030 onwards will have 55 percent lesser emissions than their 2021 counterparts. While that is a piece of positive news, Domenicali’s statement is a bit of a mixed one.

The F1 boss, in a recent interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, told that F1 “will never switch to electric”. However, he did reveal that they were in the process of making a zero-emission fuel that “could be used by planes and vessels” as well.

“It’s possible to reach zero emissions without changing engines or throwing away existing cars,” he added.

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Last year, Hamilton spoke in favor of certain environmental activists who protested at the Silverstone. However, he had to take his words back and issue a clarification.

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The 2022 British GP saw one of the most horrific crashes in the modern era of the sport. Zhou Guanyu went into the barriers after his car took multiple tumbles. The incident recently prompted the red flags to come out. Just as the remaining cars slowed down, some protesters barged onto the track, displaying the message, “stop all new fossil fuel licensing”.

Hamilton lauded their bravery at first while speaking at the post-race presser, “Big up the protesters . . . I love that people are fighting for the planet and we need more people like them.” 

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Later, Mercedes issued a clarification through Twitter, quoting Lewis as saying, “As we’ve seen today, this is a very dangerous sport. I wasn’t aware of the protests today, and while I’ll always support those standing up for what they believe in, it must be done safely. Please don’t jump onto our race circuits to protest, we don’t want to put you in harm’s way.”

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What do you make of Domenicali’s statements? Is it a move to display F1’s commitment to the environment? Will they come under the EU’s scrutiny for refusing to follow suit with the law?