While everybody got stuck into a preseason test in Bahrain, Alfa Romeo F1 team – aka Sauber – sneaked a small bit of sustainability to the paddock. As my bitter experience from Italian Grand Prix 2021 will show you, brand-new partnership for Hinwil based outfit with “Kick Out Plastic” is an important one.
On February 20th, just a couple of days before preseason test got going, Sauber released an official press note. Timing was suggesting it could be either driver-, or car-related. Meanwhile, it was about kicking out plastic, both figuratively and literally.
As it turned out Sauber formed an official partnership with “Kick Out Plastic”. Citing the above-mentioned release note it is “a global initiative seeking to promote positive changes in behaviour and choices to improve our planet’s health through the power of sport”.
Read also: Experts had their say. Sustainable motorsport is not a pipe dream
Sauber on pole position to kick out plastic trackside
Speaking more precisely, although the name of initiative is somewhat of a hint, “Kick Out plastic” – through sport – promote a more sustainable, plastic-free future. Now it’s Sauber’s turn to get stuck in.
Judging by the photo below, team’s drivers – Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu and Théo Pourchaire – are ready to do so. However, not only them but all team members will be using reusable drinking bottles trackside.
Find more: How F1 got engaged in sustainability in the first place?
That way single-use plastic is set to disappear from their garage. This step is in line with other commitments such as Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s sustainability strategy, or Sauber group having carbon-neutral operations since 2011 (sic!).
Moreover, all the others – from F1 teams, through race organizers, to F1 itself – receive the message there is still a room for improvement on that level. In 2021, I got to learn it the hard way.
Kick out plastic reusable bottle – environmental nightmare of my first-ever F1 experience
Back then, together with my girlfriend, we were dreaming about watching F1 live from the stands. We had goosebumps just thinking that one day we could hear the roar of F1’s car passing next to us. And boom! In September 2021 my parents gifted us tickets to Friday action at Monza.
There we were. Heading to one of the most legendary circuits on the calendar (and of our favourite ones too) with huge excitement. However, as our dream was about to come true, we’d been halted by the steward.
You would not believe it, but the problem lied with our reusable drinking bottle. Race organizers banned them from the event. We’d been denied access to the stands and fan zone only because we had a reusable bottle on us. Ridiculous, to say the least.
Sauber’s “Kick Out Plastic” deal – argument for black flagging plastic bottles in F1 once and for all
Eventually, we got through the entry gates, albeit our bottle must have been left outside – hidden amongst the trees. Although watching F1 was still lots of fun, I could not stop thinking about the implications of reusable bottles ban.
Let’s face it. Almost everybody – if not everybody – who attended Monza that weekend had no choice but to buy an overpriced plastic bottle of water. We are talking thousands of people here. All together fans left behind them a big – yet avoidable – pile of garbage.
Because of that I rate Sauber’s partnership with “Kick Out Plastic” so highly. There is no better way for tackling a burning issue than serving an example. Hopefully our next F1 experience – mine and yours – will show a black flag to single use plastic bottles. No matter where it will take place.
(Photo: Shutterstock/motorsport photographer)