Why Davos matters

The story of my life is driven by speed. Yes, Formula One has certainly influenced me in more than one way. Even outside of the cockpit, nearly everything I do is determined by the same questions: Is it efficient? Is it saving time? Is it the best possible solution? 

With this in mind, Davos is a challenging environment for me, I admit it. I've been there three times and I always struggle with the thought that the right decisions can take so long. Politics don't work like F1, although some might say, F1 is very political. In F1, you find the most innovative, forward-thinking and dynamic engineers in the world and they are working at an enormous development speed to solve problems stretching the boundaries of any current industry standard. Having been brought up in this environment, I strongly believe there is a solution to everything as long as you are not willing to accept a status quo and constantly look for better results. In politics, however, we are looking for compromise and balance between opinions and ideologies that - in some cases - don't seem to have any common ground. Discussions and negotiations can take a very long time and require a lot of patience even if progress doesn't seem to be within grasp. I often think that we'd be better off acting than talking, especially when it comes to pressing issues like climate change. But I have come to realise that in democratic countries that are dependant on each other in a globalised world we cannot act without discussing. And just looking at the past three years in Davos, the climate crisis has moved up from a side note to the top of the WEF's agenda. This is a significant step. If the financial and political world elite agrees on the emergency of the matter and need for immediate action, then I am confident that we can find solutions. 

"Technology is the key"

But we should not leave it up to governments alone to solve this issue. I believe the economy has both the responsibility but also the advantage of free development to help tackle the problems of climate change. Technology is the key here. And greener, more sustainable and less damaging technologies are already available. Companies and start-ups in the entire world are working on innovative solutions. We just need to connect them and create a common ground for them to share and exchange ideas. This was the thought behind the Greentech Festival which I co-founded in 2019 and which already attracted more than 30.000 visitors at the inaugural event. We want to offer a platform for the most forward-thinking and cutting-edge green technology, all in one place. Similar to the philosophy of the World Economic Forum, we believe that collaboration and inspiration is the key. Additionally, we aim to bring the topic of sustainability into everyday life and show that green is “cool”. And I am incredibly proud to have received so much positive feedback on the concept from economic stakeholders and influencers in Davos. It gives me great confidence to know that we have managed to bring big partners on board, such as Boston Consulting Group, Deutsche Bahn and the United Kingdom as partnering country. Together, we can make this happen!

"A team will always perform better than a single individual"

The Greentech Festival was not the only reason for me to visit Davos. I participated in a number of talks to discuss far-reaching matters, such as alternative mobility solutions, Artificial Intelligence and digitalisation - developments that are determining everyone's future and our economy as a whole. On top of that, I met with incredibly inspiring people such as Boyan Slat, founder of the Ocean CleanUp, a project that works on ridding the oceans from plastic pollution. At age 25, Boyan is responsible for a 30 million dollar investment and runs a company with more than 80 employees. His mission and his determination to solve a problem that even the most advanced scientists in the world weren't able to tackle, are just beyond my imagination. What I found particularly insightful is his willingness to admit a lack of expertise in certain areas of his business and fully rely on his team instead. "A team will always perform better than a single individual". A fact I certainly knew was true for F1, but is also a very important reminder for me as an entrepreneur. I was also lucky enough to meet a man who has been a spiritual inspiration for me throughout my career in racing: Sadhguru, an influential yogi, meditation coach and moreover, a very committed social and environmental activist. As part of our conversation, he reminded me not to focus too much on results, but on our inner development. As a former race driver who always focuses on results first, this is a very valuable reminder. 

"We have no choice but to cooperate and talk"

It is these powerful stories that make Davos what it is. An inspiration to try and improve the state of the world, update, support and help each other. Yes, perhaps the system has its flaws and contradictions. Yes, perhaps decisions could be taken faster. But if we want to have an impact and find valid solutions, we really have no choice but to cooperate and talk.