Formula Green project starts at Bathurst

Greening Australia VP Jim McKnoulty, an amateur race driver, commented: "Greening Australia and Green Fleet are both proud to be working with Formula Green on how we can reverse the environmental impacts of driving cars at an event such as this. Automotive technology has caused damage to the environment, but the natural process of planting trees to equal out the carbon dioxide we produce will help to heal the damage. If you drive your car all year, planting 20 trees annually can reverse the impact to the environment you cause."

The Formula Green initiative was launched by Australian drivers Peter Brock and David Brabham when they planted a tree at the circuit. Brock said: "Everybody knows that motorsport has the potential to do things fast and do things well, so let's use it to help protect the world around us." Brabham added: "Formula Green is a fantastic vehicle for Australia and the rest of the world to get people in the sport starting to think about the environment and the impact motor racing has on it. With the technology developed in motorsport, I'm sure we can eventually develop road cars which will have lower and lower emissions."

The tree will be the first of several thousand which will be planted before next year's race to offset the estimated volume of carbon dioxide produced by competitors' and spectators' cars.