4 Extinction Rebellion activists arrested at the start of the British GP

The image was furtive but it nevertheless allowed us to see a large pink banner with the inscription “Act Now” in the background of the starting grid as the cars set off for the lap British Grand Prix training course.

4 activists, who had infiltrated the Silverstone compound, from the ecological movement Extinction Rebellion were then apprehended and taken into custody at Northamptonshire Police.

On its official website, the organization explained “ wanting to send a strong message to millions of viewers that the fight against global warming is not taken seriously enough. The European Union and the United Kingdom are aiming for a neutral carbon footprint by 2050; it's much too late ».

Donald Bell, head of Extinction Rebellion Cambridge, however welcomed the initiative taken by Liberty Media to want to compensate for the CO2 emissions of the F1 on the horizon 2030.

« We were warned of the presence of demonstrators from the formation lap, said Michael Masi, FIA race director. The track marshals immediately notified the security service who intervened. We kept an eye on the situation throughout the formation tour to see if there were any other protesters ».

In 2013, the NGO Greenpeace mounted a shock operation during the Belgian Grand Prix to denounce the actions in the Arctic of the oil tanker Shell, then title sponsor of the event. Banners, controlled remotely by a remote control, were activated during the podium ceremony.