GP ITALY 2025: “EVERY DRIVER, A TREE” – THE FOREST OF THE DRIVERS IS BORN

5 September 2025
|In Motorsport, News
|By Andrea Cremonesi

With a simple yet highly symbolic ceremony, the “Bosco dei Piloti” (Forest of the Drivers) was inaugurated in the “Bosco Bello” area, near the Variante Ascari, as part of the “Every Driver, a Tree” project.

The planting of 20 new trees—one for each driver competing in the Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Italy 2025, taking place on Sunday the 7th—and a “Cypress of Saint Francis” (a clone of the monumental specimen kept in the cloister of the Franciscan monastery in Villa Verucchio, Rimini), was attended by:

  • Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1

  • Tullio Del Sette, Extraordinary Commissioner of ACI

  • Giovanni Battista Tombolato, Deputy Commissioner of ACI

  • Geronimo La Russa, President-elect of ACI

  • Fabrizio Parrulli, Corps General, Commander of the Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Units.

This initiative—promoted by the Automobile Club of Italy and the Monza National Circuit, with the support of the Carabinieri Command for Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Units—is part of “A Tree for the Future”, a major environmental education project by the Carabinieri. So far, more than 50,000 trees have been planted across schools and cities in Italy, as well as in areas hosting key international motorsport events.

Domenicali: “This initiative connects our sport to the future of the planet”

“The creation of the ‘Forest of the Drivers’ at the Monza National Circuit is a concrete symbol of our mission for environmental education, and reflects our shared responsibility to show how motorsport can contribute to a more sustainable future,” emphasized Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
“It’s wonderful to see every driver represented by a tree, creating a living legacy that ties our sport to the planet’s future. Formula 1 is on its way to achieving Net Zero by 2030, and we are committed to promoting positive change, both on and off the track. I would like to congratulate the Automobile Club of Italy, the Carabinieri, and all local partners for their dedication to this project.”

Del Sette: “Motorsport must play an active role in Italy’s ecological transition”

“This is not just about increasing the green heritage of our country,” said Extraordinary Commissioner Del Sette.
“It’s about affirming that the world of motorsport can and must be an active player in Italy’s vital ecological transition.”
“This ‘Forest of the Drivers’ is here to remind us all that sport, safety, technology, and the environment can contribute significantly to building a better future—not just within the circuits hosting the world’s most beloved sporting events, but especially outside them.”

Tombolato: “Loving this sport means turning it into an opportunity for environmental action”

“This initiative perfectly represents the attention that motorsport in general, and Italian motorsport—through ACI in particular—gives to the environment,” said ACI Deputy Commissioner Tombolato.
“It’s easy, obvious, and above all wrong to believe the outdated idea that ‘motorsport equals pollution’ and indifference to the natural world. We know that’s not true.
In fact, the truth is the opposite.
And today, here, we testify to that once again.
Loving this sport, as we do, also means being mindful of its environmental impact and turning every race into an opportunity for deeper reflection and concrete, visible action.”

La Russa: “A small gesture for us, but a big message for motorsport fans”

“A small gesture for us gathered here today, but a powerful message for motorsport and Formula 1 fans everywhere and of all ages,” said ACI President-elect La Russa.
“We hope these trees—whose roots symbolize the support and inspiration of our past, whose trunks give shape and strength to the present, and whose branches hold our hope for the future—will become the most vivid and vital symbol of the mission to which we’ve chosen to dedicate our best energies: giving the Monza National Circuit a future truly worthy of its extraordinary and unforgettable past.”

Parrulli: “Leveraging the appeal of sport to awaken consciences and raise greater awareness about protecting the planet”

“‘Every Driver, a Tree’ aims to offset the emissions from all major races held each year under the auspices of the ACI Federation,” said Parrulli.
“This project is intended to be a driving force for reforestation that promotes the biodiversity of the territory—not only from a botanical perspective but also a faunal one. The benefits even extend to insects, especially pollinators, which are essential to human survival.
Our commitment is not only environmental but also cultural, and this initiative was born as an environmental education project—using the appeal of sport to awaken people’s awareness and stimulate a deeper understanding of the role each of us plays in safeguarding the planet.”

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Pilotto: “Ensuring a balance between sporting and technological development and the preservation and enhancement of the park’s green and tree-rich heritage”

“The environmental value of the Park is unique, and Monza offers it every year to its many motorsport enthusiasts,” said Pilotto. “This initiative confirms the shared commitment and sensitivity between the Villa Reale e Parco Consortium and the Autodromo Nazionale to ensuring a balance between sporting and technological development and the preservation and enhancement of the park’s and city’s green and tree-rich heritage. After the severe storms of 2023, even the most affected area of ​​Bosco Bello will be able to recover.”

(Press Release – Automobile Club d’Italia)