The Berlin Tempelhof E Prix of 2023 was quite an eventful one, not only because of the remarkable overtakes and close combat but also because of the climate protest that happened during Sunday.
Credit: Formula E Media Bank / Simon Galloway
The race on Sunday welcomed the fans with a delayed start that occurred due to a German group of
climate protestors who swarmed the grid, climbed the fences and had attempts to glue themselves to
safety vehicles. At the very first glance, Formula E may seem as one of the worst categories to hold
these protests as its core values include being a net zero brand and racing with electric cars.
However, the protest may be more valid than you think. Here is how…
First and foremost, we need to understand the protesting group, Letzte Generation, and the way they
protest. What we witnessed during the Berlin E Prix was far from being a single protest that was
directed at Formula E, it was a part of something much bigger. Do you remember the guys who were
throwing soup and mashed potatoes to art pieces? Yes, it was them. Some of their lesser known
protests include gluing themselves to asphalt which is closer to what they did during the E-Prix.
Beyond Letzte Generation, climate protests have become increasingly commonplace during
high-profile sporting events. In the past year, a Just Stop Oil protestor halted the World Snooker
Championship,, twenty-five people were arrested at the Scottish Grand National horse race and
Britain’s Grand National was also delayed by animal rights protesters. One that you might remember
is the protest that was held after the opening lap crash at the British Formula One Grand Prix last
year. This trend of climate protests occurring during sports events show no sign of a downturn, as
they believe organizations and companies are the ones who need to slow down. From their official Twitter account Letzte Generation shared the statement that “It’s time to slow down. Because we’re on the highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”
Credit: Formula E Media Bank / Simon Galloway
Animal rights protestors at horse races and climate protestors at Formula 1 races sit right with all of
us. Although their methods and rightfulness are debatable, the correlation is hard to neglect. Now,
how about Formula E? Why was there a climate protest in one of the most sustainable organizations
within motorsport?
Letzte Generation is a group that is committed to raising awareness about climate change. To do this,
they use tactics that draw attention to the issue without causing any damage. They want to be seen
and heard by jumping into your view. In order to do that, they have to find what you are already
looking at and locate themselves there which explains why we see the trend of art pieces and sports
events. This way, they get maximum impact in the news and bring the issue of climate change to the
forefront.
The longest serving Formula E track, Tempelhof, has a total of almost 9000 grandstand seats which
were all packed when the protest happened. With people watching the race from the Allianz Fan
Village, the paddock and online streaming services, the number of people in the real-time audience
was vast. Then comes the social media side of things which adds an immense volume to the people
that talked about the protest… You see where I am going, right? It is important to understand that the
protests were not directed at Formula E but rather the status quo that exploits nature and lacks
climate awareness. Formula E was just a medium that had the force and audience for the protest to
go viral.
Yet, there is still an even more controversial question that needs to be asked. If Letzte Generation’s
aim was to protest Formula E and the act was directed at the organization regardless of the impact it
would have, would it really be as wrong and ‘ridiculous’ as the Internet made it seem to be? The
eco-friendly origin of the series had a more detrimental than beneficial effect on the protest, for sure.
However, is Formula E as green as it claims? Or does it deserve climate criticism? Some critics argue that the organization is more focused on marketing itself as sustainable rather than actually focusing on further reducing its environmental impact.
At the end of the day, the Berlin E Prix climate protest managed to bring attention to the larger issue of sustainability and opened us a window to reflect on the eco-friendly practices within motorsport. Although there is still room for improvement, it is important to have Formula E as a sustainable racing body in order to continue to promote sustainable racing and reduce emissions from motorsport.
