MotoGP riders turn beekeepers for a day at the Italian Grand Prix
The Italian MotoGP kicked off with the inauguration of the Mugello Circuit Curva San Donato in the presence of Circuit Director & CEO Paolo Poli, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, and a number of excited MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE riders.
On Thursday, when all engines were still silent, the heroes on two-wheels found themselves at one of the most beautiful turns of the Mugello Circuit, the Curva San Donato, as beekeepers.
The Ferrari plant, which has always valued sustainability, installed 5 hives full of pollinating bees in May. The riders themselves then became the main characters of the scene at the Curva San Donato itself, which was painted black and yellow for the occasion. Supported by a local beekeeper, they were able to identify the queen bee from the worker bees and the honey from the pollen. The riders were also asked to get creative and draw pictures of bees on a board, calling attention to these ever so important little insects who happen to be responsible for 80% of the pollination of all living plant species.
Paolo Poli, CEO and Director of the Mugello Circuit, emphasized the importance of biodiversity, not only in this circuit, but throughout our entire world: “Public opinion watches us all over the world. Our sport can become a privileged platform to send out important messages, such as the importance of the environment. At Mugello, we have always tried to make our contribution to preserve the beauty of our Tuscan Hills territory. Mugello has a green soul and every year we intervene with concrete actions. We thought about incentivizing the biodiversity of our wonderful park where so much of our ecosystem lives. Everything starts with the main element of nature: bees, the beings from which everything develops. And we tried to find an iconic location to enable them to do their job in harmony with a green environment. The image we want to project is one where both MotoGP and the Mugello Circuit are keenly aware of sustainability, nature, and our future”.