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Behind the scenes! What happens after a Grand Prix
Katia Juarez
Director of the FIM International Sustainability Commission
The flags are waved, the cheers ring out and the riders celebrate their success. A Grand Prix has come to an end and everyone is looking forward to the next race. Thousands of fans gather on the track to congratulate the champion. For the champion, there is laughter, bubbly and the flashing of the cameras, and everyone is partying! Putting together a Grand Prix involves long journeys, administrative and bureaucratic red tape, experience, hard work, sleepless nights so that every little detail is taken care of and everything is exactly as it should be on race day. Inside the Paddock there is a sort of microcosm, a community of riders, families, mechanics, support staff, cooks, stewards, drivers, doctors, journalists, engineers, officials, organisers and promoters, all living together during the 19 events all over the world. Like any human activity, organising these events carries a risk of leaving an environmental footprint. Major events like World Cups concerts, mass rallies, cultural celebrations etc. carry an even greater risk unless they are planned and implemented carefully. Motor sport is not exempt from leaving a footprint, but without a doubt, our sport and its values are capable of leaving a positive imprint too and of influencing fans and communities. Empirically, we know that sport, in this case MotoGP, is capable of generating a considerable impact on society and the local economy; it translates into sources of jobs, entertainment, hotel occupation, tax revenues, etc. But apart from the economic aspects of sustainability, sport is capable of generating programmes through shared values that involve different stakeholder groups and create a social impact that embraces local communities, International Federations, government bodies, organisers, the press, local governments, riders, promoters and many more. It is no coincidence that, since last year, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has been celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Ride Green Programme that coincides with the 25th Anniversary of MotoGP. For all these years, the programme has been rolled out in all motorcycling disciplines through actions that include the implementation of an Environmental Code, education for environmental and sports officials and issuing guidelines on how to organise sustainable events. Inside the MotoGP world too, major campaigns have been implemented to raise awareness among fans on topical themes linked to the critical state of the planet, such as the life-threatening presence of plastics in the Ocean. Last year, the Team Sky launched a campaign on a huge scale. And like the Team Yamaha Movistar with its programme for continual improvement and sustainability, Honda Repsol too has its own outstanding sustainability programme. These are just a few examples among many. Since 2012, MotoGP rider Marc Márquez has been a member of the FIM Ride Green Ambassadors’ Team. He has contributed actively to the programme’s activities, thereby helping to generate a positive impact among his faithful supporters and followers. Within DORNA, efforts have been focused on reducing the CO2 emissions of the events by investing in more energy-efficient trucks to transport materials for example. In 2019, the first Championship for electric motorcycles will be rolled out, taking into account sustainable energy sources and other environmental aspects. The KISS (Keep it Shiny and Sustainable) programme is another example of a programme that generates shared values. This programme is coordinated from the FIM and involves different stakeholders. To date, it has been organised at the Circuits of Mugello, Barcelona, Motorland Aragón, Misano and Valencia, as well as in other motorcycling disciplines. Among other things, the KiSS programme promotes values directed towards environmental education for spectators, proper management and subsequent processing of waste, social inclusivity, reduction of carbon emissions through promotion and supply of sustainable transport and car sharing, rational use of resources, support for international campaigns such as the Stop Food Waste campaign promoted by the United Nations, and many more. Key facts about food waste that everyone should know! -Approximately one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year – approximately 1.3 million tonnes – are wasted or thrown away. -At retail level, large quantities of food are thrown away because of quality standards based on appearance. -The food currently wasted or thrown away in Latin America could feed 300 million people. -The food that is currently thrown away in Europe could feed 200 million people. - if only one quarter of the food that is currently thrown away worldwide could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million starving people in the world. Source: FAO | Recently, during the two latest events in the Championship, in the framework of the KiSS programme, surplus unused food has been collected from the Teams’ Hospitality Units and the MotoGP Village and donated to Social Assistance Centres in local communities. The table below shows the total number of portions of food collected at the MotoGP events | | 2017 | 2018 | | MUGELLO | 400* | 2000* | | MISANO | 800* | | | BARCELONA | | 300** | * Portions of food ** Kilograms of dry food
The food is collected by staff authorised by the circuits with the help of humanitarian associations and local volunteers. This is just a glimpse of the impact that these events can have on the local community. In the future, we hope to expand these actions and encourage more of this type of activity for the benefit of local communities.
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