One is not always responsible for the mistakes made in the past, but will be  guilty for not learning from them and repeating them in the future

Last Saturday I participated with Augustín Paya and the "Mercedes EcoTeam" in the ECO RALLY RACC for electrical and fuel-efficient cars, in the category of 100% electric vehicles, in which we won with authority, having been thirds the last year.

About two years ago I started introducing myself to the world of electric vehicles, with the help of the expert, passionate and committed pilot Augustine Paya, who is the former Spanish champion at the Electroseries 2012 and 2013. And I discovered a new dimension in car racing, an activity that had been so important in my sporting career a few years ago, but that I had completely set apart by the fact that it was part of my past, where my environmental awareness was quite low, and it was not fitting on my ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.

We raced, we had fun and we won, but without emitting a single gram of CO2 in the atmosphere.  And therefore we had double fun, and the victory was much more valuable.  Participating and promoting electric mobility represents for me, right now, a way to put together innovation, sport and sustainability, helping to create a much needed turnaround in the automotive world.

All industries, whether about cars or any other one, is inherently unsustainable. But we must start from the fact that society has created a lifestyle and needs that will not stop or change so radically in the short term. Therefore, we have to push the industry and the citizens habits, to tend to be increasingly efficient, neutral or beneficial to the environment. This is imperative, and should be massively pursued, with a high level of collective ambition.  Even it is to respect the natural environment and biodiversity, or for a better management of the natural resources on which we depend, or for investing in better overall health of the planet and a better quality of life for next generations, which is evident it is that we need to modify certain highly ingrained behaviors to act positively on the short and long term future.a

I do not regret my past in the world of motor racing, as it is an inseparable part of my sporting career. But values ​​and conscience of person evolve (thankfully), and the fact of having been doing adventures in some of the most beautiful and sensitive places of our planet, made ​​me taking an awareness of respect and commitment to the environment which I had not before. So now I cannot do only what brings me fun, without incorporating values ​​that are already part of me, and I take them very seriously (because they are "my" values).  I enjoy a lot with car racing, but I prefer to pay the price of avoiding it if it doesn’t incorporate some form of attitude and commitment to a real environmental and sustainable project. And perhaps in the field of electric cars, I can find a way to use my experience as a long track pilot, and use it according to my commitment to sustainability.

The future is always our responsibility, and each one of us we build it every day through each of our actions.