Lewis Hamilton’s needs to carry the FIA end-of-year Prize Gala in Paris, France for “sustainability” causes have fallen on deaf ears. The Brit, a passionate environmentalist and vegan, questioned the environmental affect of flying out to Baku, Azerbaijan for the occasion this 12 months when the FIA may have hosted the prize-giving in Paris, the place their headquarters are primarily based.
However as a substitute of taking Hamilton’s recommendation, the FIA have chosen to host its 2024 Gala in Kigali, Rwanda – an excellent larger distance away from northern Europe. When requested how he felt about Baku taking part in host in 2023, Hamilton, who was in attendance to choose up his third-place trophy, stated: “I don’t really feel a selected approach.
“While I actually like Baku, it’s actually a good looking place, questions in my thoughts of whether or not the FIA is de facto really serious about sustainability as a result of so many individuals flew out right here and the FIA is in Paris and it simply would have been simpler to remain there.
“But it surely’s a good looking enviornment, it’s an evening all of us get to come back collectively and have fun all of the achievements of the nice individuals working within the sport, all of the superb drivers that I wouldn’t get to see in the course of the 12 months.”
The FIA’s headquarters in France have hosted the vast majority of the end-of-year awards in latest occasions. But final 12 months, it went to Bologna, Italy after which to Baku, Azerbaijan in 2023.
Hamilton, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen and Cristian Horner have been all current for the ceremony. The drivers scooped their respective third, second and first-place trophies whereas Horner picked up the Constructors’ Championship title on behalf of Purple Bull.
Verstappen and Purple Bull obliterated their competitors in 2023 as each constructed up astronomical gaps on their rivals come the tip of the season. Though Hamilton definitely did not get pleasure from being overwhelmed week in and week out by his rivals, he was fast to heap reward on the reigning champions.
“I’ve to say an enormous congratulations to Purple Bull, and Max, and Checo, who’ve accomplished an unimaginable job this 12 months,” he stated. “Max was faultless and the crew actually raised the bar.
“We’ve got lots of work to do to shut the hole, however I do consider we are able to shut that hole. Thanks additionally to my crew as a result of they by no means gave up this 12 months. We began off with the sister of the earlier 12 months’s automotive, which was not good and never enjoyable to drive for a lot of the 12 months, however nobody gave up, everybody continued to point out up daily and that’s what was most inspiring.”