Green F1 tyres? Seriously?

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We’re a long way from April Fools’ Day so I’m taking this one at face value… for now.

F1 cars will be using tyres with green grooves in them during the Japanese Grand Prix to show support for the FIA’s Make Cars Green initiative:

Those will look great on a Renault...

According to the FIA:

The initiative demonstrates that Formula One’s teams and partners are backing the Make Cars Green campaign’s goal to reduce the impact of motoring on the environment.

It looks like the definition of greenwash to me.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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43 comments on “Green F1 tyres? Seriously?”

  1. This just stinks of Honda favouratism…they’re forcing all the other teams to use tyres in Honda’s colour scheme….

  2. Honda’s PR must be loving this. It’s just a shame that they are racing at Fuji and not Honda’s Suzuka, that would have been perfect.

  3. Formula 1? Green? Really? Ha!

    How much extra CO2 did the lights for the night race pump out?

  4. How much extra CO2 did the lights for the night race pump out?

    None, they were powered using all the hot air that Luca Montezemolo produces!!

  5. Those will look great on a Renault…

    Ha! Classic!!

  6. It is a bit of a farce though isn’t it?

    It’s straight out of the “Honda book of believing people are stupid” – the chapter on how colouring something green will make people think it’s environmentally friendly.

    The world is saved, people, Bridgestone have bought a new can of paint…

  7. I’m surprised they haven’t offered the groove yet as extra advertising space :D

  8. i reckon they will look good on the honda… and AWFUL on all other cars!
    imagine the ferrari or mclaren with these tires!!

  9. Yep, the teams should refuse to use them unless they are in their colours.
    Is this all that the FIAs ‘Make Cars Green’ campaign can come up with? Is this what Bridgestone are being paid millions for? Greenwash is right, no doubt Max is chuckling to himself somewhere over this….
    If Max was being serious about greener tyres all he has to do is contact Michelin, who have been making efficient, greener (ie less rubber) tyres for quite a while now, and no doubt so have the likes of Pirelli and Goodyear.
    I think the whole FIA initiative is just a lousy PR stunt, he got all the drivers to sign in support when all the manufacturers represented in the sport have been designing and building ‘green’ cars for years!
    But then we know Max is never one to miss a Bandwaggon..

  10. And have another look at them – could you spot the ‘white’ line on a car going at speed?

  11. DG – Excellent point.

  12. As long as they let out green smoke when the tyre spins I’m happy otherwise what a waste!

  13. “he got all the drivers to sign in support when all the manufacturers represented in the sport have been designing and building ‘green’ cars for years!”

    The ” marks are definitely necessary. I think it’s pretty clear that no one involved in F1 could claim that there is a single aspect of F1 that is green: “green”, yes, the kind of corporate green that’s on the tyres, but ecologically sound? Nah!

    Good to see plenty of cynicism.

    K.

  14. They look shocking on the Ferrari. Here’s a pic.

  15. @ matthew

    Formula 1? Green? Really? Ha! How much extra CO2 did the lights for the night race pump out?

    A lot less than the entire audience in Europe getting up at 07.00 am and turning on their living room lights… ;-)

  16. AmericanTifosi
    8th October 2008, 12:50

    I think I’m going to cry.

  17. Those will look great on a Renault…

    Hahahaha, you are hilarious

  18. Sorry Keith, but I don’t understand the Renault reference…

    Those tyres looked okay on their own, but hideous on that Ferrari! No doubt the white line will be difficult to spot as well.

  19. Is it possible that ONLY Honda will run these tires?

  20. they tested painted sides, painted grooves & so on to decide which is best … and then from nothing we get all grooves painted … green … nice

  21. so FIA shows favoritism to Honda or Ferrari :P

  22. but I don’t understand the Renault reference…

    I think the Renault reference is that a lot of people (certainly not me, anyway) think their current cars’ colour scheme is equally as hideous as Bridgestones’, making them an ideal match for each other.

  23. F1 is becoming stupider by the hour :(

  24. michael counsell
    8th October 2008, 19:13

    People who make comments are becoming stupider by the hour :)

    The green message mustn’t fade away otherwise things we hold dear will be lost. If you disagree keep arguing, the counter arguments are more factual and more persuasive.

  25. Ok the ‘green message’ is good and deserves some kind of publicity – but think about it…..Fuji last year was a washout. Better weather is expected this year but there is a high chance of rain. In which case these tyres won’t even be used cos’ they’ll all be on wets with no groves or green tread!

  26. Michael I don’t think people are mocking the idea of being environmental. They’re mocking the idea of painting tyres green…it’s idiotic!

  27. Actually, the idea of F1 being enviromentaly friendly, is idiotic also. This is racing, we want to go as fast as possible with as much noise as possible.

    And, F1 being hi-tech and all, has a minor impact compared to other formulaes.

    I’m all for being enviromentaly conscious, but there are more important things like the carbon we burn, the gas we use daily, the pollution of the seas, etc… NOT F1!!!

  28. F1 (or rather motorsport as a whole) is part of the problem, just as the carbon we use in our daily lives is part of the problem.
    Every part of our life needs to change, including motorsport.

    Saying there are more important things is like saying it doesn’t matter if you leave your lights on because it’s such a small thing it won’t make any difference.
    The main reason for F1 to become more environmentally friendly is that it sends a message to a lot of people that something needs to/is being done.

  29. just ugly

  30. They look shocking on the Ferrari. Here’s a pic.

    …I think I’m going to be sick… :(

  31. Oreo cookie is a good look for F1!!! :)

  32. It’s Bridgestone or Nothing!

  33. Surely a really ‘green’ initiative from the FIA would be to ensure all the official FIA cars are running as hybrids or using biofuel? Maybe they should be asking the teams to convert their lorries and sponsors vehicles to more enviromentaly friendly power? Perhaps the motorhomes could become solar/wind/alternative powered over the weekend? Maybe a ban on non-zero emission vehicles in the Paddock area? Maybe a way to cut down on the number of aircraft used to transport all the cars etc to far-flung places?
    It’s strange that Max has so far failed to announce ANY of these! Instead we get painted tyres!
    Yes, there is a lot of cynicism here!

  34. @ DG
    Well, if you put it that way, scrapping the Canadian Grand Prix is a major green initiative. :\

  35. a form of corporate masquerading in order to appease resistance from various forms of save the planet movements , nothing more.

  36. Anything which happens to make F1 more environmentally friendly as a side effect of it being more entertaining (kinetic energy thingys for example) is great – but other wise its kind of at odds with what should be F1’s “Raison d’être” – more speed! more power! more excitement!

    Id hate too see battery powered F1 cars

  37. This is nothing more than tokenism.

    The amount of fuel used by all forms of motorsport is negligible in the grand scheme of things.

    When you think of the fuel economy that has been developed for road vehicles as a direct result of racing then it’s probably fair to say that motorsport is helping the environment more than it’s hurting it.

    I’m a liberal environmentalist who’s been on many climate protests & direct action events around the country, it’s unfortunate but true that many of the people involved in these campaigns are ignorant of the facts & use badly thought out arguments against motorsport whilst driving around the country in a beat up old van that does 12 mpg.

    F1 has been Carbon neutral since 1997 anyway.

  38. The whole point about F1 is that it is the finest mechanics and engineers battling each other to make the fastest racing car, which then some pretty talented jockey’s try and keep on the road. It isn’t a single make series and that extra level of competition drives innovation. Of course F1 isn’t green and maybe some technology filters through to production vehicles, but really is that why we follow it?? The time will come and sooner than we think when F1, in fact all oil based burning cars, will be looked upon as bonkers probably even outrageous. But in the meantime diluting the sport by limiting budgets/parts etc and trying feeble attempts at Green PR are just embarrassing, patronising and do no favours to the sport.. Mosley’s agenda is counter productive and dull.. Let’s go out in style – with heads held high and feet buried to the floor! it’s what the sport has always stood for.. (plus we’ll eventually find the solar powered series interesting.. )

  39. the white line is barely visible on tv. another brilliant step by F1!

    the hit parade keeps coming with these morons.

  40. they look hideous but n interesting flip side will be that you’ll see the green fade away as the tires wear down. this will make it interesting being able to compare tire wear etc. between drivers/teams

  41. Oh for the love of god, the ‘Green’ issue is all about making money!! Its the millenium bug version 2, remember that one? I’m all for using less natural resources generally but its so politicised now its ridiculous! Just let the guys race and see who wins, why are we discussing this on an F1 website?? If support F1 you obviously aint that bothered anyway. Any of you drive a prius???

  42. How 2 make the engine last longer???

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