It’s impossible to ignore the fact that the planet is dying. Climate change is real. Whether you believe it’s man made or not, you have to accept there’s certain things that just don’t need to be done, one of those things is petrol based motorsport. How is it that we keep allowing these polluting races to take place, especially when we have carbon neutral alternatives available. I don’t understand why Formula 1 is still a thing when we have Formula E.
First, Formula 1 is hybrid and the amount of fuel used in a race is miniscule compared to the carbon footprint of traveling to the race itself : something Formula E also suffers from. Second, Formula 1 (as well as other gas powered motorsports) are the forge for innovation in the space and are what moves consumer vehicles to better, lighter weight materials, hybrid drivetrains, safety gear, air effects, etc
I’ll expand on the carbon footprint a bit: cars, parts, and gear need to be shipped from one race to the next; the pit crews, the off-track staff, the racers are flown to the next race, and the fans come in from near and far to see the event. These are all the same, regardless of the kind of car being used in the race.
Wouldn’t better trains fix that somewhat? Only hosting races in cities with adequate public transport? And moving the equipment around via blimp, train and/or electric trucks?
The methods you mentioned are not a real alternative on a timeline that makes sense (unless you want 3+ weeks between races - something that causes issues even today with air and cargo travel). You are absolutely correct that picking cities with tracks that are accessible would be a great start though the options are likely extremely limited as tracks are usually far away from population centers since they can be loud and are rarely serviced by heavy/light rail. Busses are a great option though
But if you switched from formula 1 to formula e, the noise wouldn’t be an issue. But also if the races are that beneficial/lucrative, having a train running there is a no-brainer, irrespective of how much the service runs.
The engines are only a part of the noise, it’s the crowd, tires, the traffic in/out - it’s the same reason amphitheaters and venues are also not typically smack dab in the middle of neighborhoods. And the thing is trains don’t currently run there
I quite like the idea of street races, like what they do for marathons and what they do in Monaco. It kinda forces the city to keep the roads in tip-top condition.
Street races, especially Monaco, are generally hated as they are not typically wide enough to allow for much overtaking. Monaco specifically is one of if not the worst circuit of season. As far as street maintenance, the impact is negligible and is likely unnoticeable within a few months with repairs not taking place until a short time before the next year’s race
In my head whenever I think of street races, I always think of the potential of Westminster Bridge.
You say miniscule fuel but it’s not zero. Regarding innovation, why can’t they innovate for electric vehicles?
The real impact is in it being a serious driver (heh) of car culture, which in turn makes it harder to push for more sustainable alternatives to cars. The innovations it provides don’t cancel that out, especially since cars are an inherently inefficient mode of transportation.