Is it ethical to love an industry that leaves a mess?
Feb 24
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Matthew Ben-Gera
Sometimes I catch myself wondering if it’s okay to love Formula 1 as much as I do. It’s a question that sits quietly in the background—especially when I think about the environmental cost of the sport. There’s no denying the scale of it: the constant travel, the freight, the fuel, the spectacle. It feels strange to admire something that’s still figuring out how to clean up its very messy act. But maybe that discomfort is part of what makes the question worth asking.
The truth is, I do love F1. I love the strategic thinking and attention to detail. I love the high-stakes decision-making. But I also know that all of this comes at a cost. For a sport that runs on innovation, it’s still catching up when it comes to sustainability. And it often feels irresponsible to be part of it.
But maybe that’s exactly why it’s worth watching closely. I believe you can be a fan of something and still hold it accountable. You can enjoy the competition and still want the industry to evolve. Loving F1 doesn’t mean ignoring its flaws—it means understanding them, and being part of the conversation about how the sport moves forward.
That’s one of the ideas behind creating this course: to look beyond the race highlights and examine what’s really happening behind the scenes—financially, environmentally, strategically.
Formula 1 is changing. Sustainability finance is becoming part of its business model. Teams are making progress, even if it’s uneven. And the fans—especially we thoughtful ones—can keep asking the right questions. Not because we’re trying to ruin the fun, but because we want to help shape something even better.