Plans For Formula 1 In Copenhagen Take Off, But Meet Resistance

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Danish DR News dr.dk reports that Formula 1 in Copenhagen has come a step closer after politicians and organizers have met.

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Ferrari Formula 1. Image credit: Pixabay

On Thursday, stakeholders met to discuss the opportunity to get a Formula 1 Grand Prix race to Copenhagen in 2020.

From the consortium working on realizing the idea of ​​Formula 1 in Copenhagen, Saxo Bank founder Lars Seier Christensen and former minister of science Helge Sander, who is head of the project, participated. “What became clear is that this event should be a public-private partnership. It will be self-financed. Such major events have a huge branding value.” says Helge Sander.

Several politicians in the Danish capital’s citizens’ representation has previously warned that Formula 1 racing in the city center clashes with the idea of ​​Copenhagen as a green city.

Niko Grünfeld from the political party Alternativet, elaborates:

“I think that a Formula 1 race with fossil fuel burning race cars does not fit well with the image of Copenhagen as a green and sustainable city. We still need to scrutinize the economy and how much it will affect the citizens of Copenhagen who live near the proposed race track, because it will have major consequences. So I really do not think it’s something Copenhagen should host.”

He does acknowledge that it certainly would have positive economic effects due to a lot of tourists and revenue to businesses in Copenhagen. But the question is what value it has for Copenhagen in the long run? To that extent it is questionable what Copenhagen — a potential future green and sustainable city — is winning by hosting a Formula 1 race.

The first year, the whole setup — including preparation of the track on the 4.6 km route in the city center — will cost up to $80 million.

Why not Formula E instead? I wonder why this has — to my knowledge — not been proposed. Formula E is becoming high-profile with players like Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes getting in the game. Formula 1 is, well, old school. Right?

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Audi Formula E. Image credit: Jesper Berggreen

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Jesper Berggreen

Jesper had his perspective on the world expanded vastly after having attended primary school in rural Africa in the early 1980s. And while educated a computer programmer and laboratory technician, working with computers and lab-robots at the institute of forensic medicine in Aarhus, Denmark, he never forgets what life is like having nothing. Thus it became obvious for him that technological advancement is necessary for the prosperity of all humankind, sharing this one vessel we call planet earth. However, technology has to be smart, clean, sustainable, widely accessible, and democratic in order to change the world for the better. Writing about clean energy, electric transportation, energy poverty, and related issues, he gets the message through to anyone who wants to know better. Jesper is founder of Lifelike.dk and a long-term investor in Tesla, Ørsted, and Vestas.

Jesper Berggreen has 241 posts and counting. See all posts by Jesper Berggreen