“Drive Fast, Act Faster” is a brand-new campaign initiated by Ferdinand Habsburg and Green Future Project with the support of Algarve Pro Racing.
Motorsport has long been at the forefront of technological advancement and innovation, breaking boundaries and achieving things that were deemed impossible.
The vision for the “Drive Fast, Act Faster” programme is to support Habsburg and Algarve Pro’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, and to gain traction among other teams and championships, for them to collectively reshape the future of motorsport, as an industry response to the reality of the climate crisis
“Racing has taken me around the world, and lately I began to realise that I have to take more responsibility and set out other goals than just winning and driving to the limit,” said Habsburg. “When I was racing in the Asian Le Mans Series this winter with Algarve Pro Racing, I quickly realised that Stewart and Samanatha Cox share the same values as I do and that they would like to make changes in the way the team operates to reduce their impact on the environment. This realisation led me to Green Future Project, a platform that champions change-makers, bridging individuals and businesses to the most effective climate solutions.
“I am really thankful to my teammates Diego (Menchaca) and Richard (Bradley) for joining me on this journey. They really believe in the project and to have their full support is amazing. With the new livery and teamwear, we will be a spectacle on the grid and on the podium. We are here to win, and we’ll do it in style.”
Algarve Pro Racing has enthusiastically added new goals for the 2021 European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
In addition to winning races and championships, the Portugal-based team aims to offset its carbon emissions by supporting the RMDTL Portel – Para’ project that prevents the destruction of native forests in Brazil, and at the same time contributing to the expansion of The Narupa Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon – one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
Algarve Pro Racing will run a special livery throughout the six-round ELMS season, the #24 ORECA 07 LMP2 carrying the image of the forests the team is trying to save, and it’s hoped the launch of a merchandise range made from upcycled plastic and organic cotton will encourage motor racing fans to join the “Drive Fast, Act Faster‘ movement, with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to the rainforest support and regeneration projects featured on the car.
Algarve Pro Racing Team Principal, Stewart Cox, said: “The idea of achieving carbon neutrality was formed during the Asian Le Mans Series. An off-the-cuff conversation with Ferdinand (Habsburg) revealed that we have the same passions and that, while we love motor racing, we’re also acutely aware that going around in circles burning fossil fuels isn’t a healthy thing for the planet. My involvement in motorsport has enabled me to travel the world and I’ve often been shocked to see the deterioration in different environments, particularly under the sea. When I’ve revisited diving sites I’ve seen huge differences, and witnessing the decay of the oceans, including the bleaching of coral reefs, really bothers me, because we as a species are solely responsible for it.
“Ferdinand and I discussed marine conservation and began thinking about ways of negating our impact on the planet, and I’ve been amazed at the time and effort he has put into the project. Firstly, Algarve Pro Racing is working hard to reduce its waste and use more recyclable plastics, we’re campaigning for more recycle bins at racetracks, and we’re also working with Merchant Tailors, which has produced team kit using 35 per cent ocean plastics, 40 per cent landfill plastics and organic cotton. We would love for fans of the sport to purchase items from our clothing range to support the “Drive Fast, Act Faster” campaign. In doing so, we’ll all be contributing to the preservation of rainforests in Brazil and Ecuador, and I’m very proud to be a part of it. It’ll take relatively small changes from us all as individuals to make a big impact, and this is our starting point.”
For Habsburg, one of his main driving forces is to maintain and preserve motorsport as we know it for the future generations, and he said: “This project is not only about my passion towards nature but also about connecting the racing community back together with the fans and all the people who are passionate about motorsport. It’s something that we’ve been missing over the last year and I feel very happy to be able to do something to reconnect the people in a way that helps the environment.
“We see a lot of series moving towards electric powertrains nowadays, but the majority of the motorsport community is still passionate about combustion engines. This is something that’s strongly ingrained in the DNA of motorsport and, if we continue with our wasteful behaviours, it will lead to a point where we’ll have no choice but to use electric power. This could save the future of motorsport as we know it, allowing the next generations to have the privilege of enjoying racing as much as we do today.”
