Sebastian Vettel knew where he was going when he accepted an invitation to the BBC’s ‘Question Time’ debate program. The four-time world champion admitted that every time he gets out of the car, he wonders whether Formula 1 should continue to exist because of the impact the sport has on the planet.
Sebastian Vettel acknowledges that talking about sustainability and energy as a Formula 1 driver makes him a hypocrite. However, the German recognizes that he is at a point where he is beginning to wonder to what extent the Grand Circus should exist.
Vettel feels hypocritical about racing cars
“It’s true, talking about sustainability being a Formula 1 driver makes me a hypocrite. You are right. It’s normal to laugh because there are questions I ask myself every day. I am not a saint. I’m very concerned about the future regarding energy, relying on energy, where we’re going,” Sebastian told Question Time.
“To finish making my point and not get lost, we have to stop relying on energy because we can do it. There are solutions. In Britain you have a gold mine which is wind and you have the ability to augment your energy with wind power. Not every country has this strength. If you go to Austria, they have water in the Alps and they can pump it and store it,” he added.
“It’s something I’m wondering if I should race in Formula 1 and travel the world because there are certain things I can control and certain things I can’t control. My passion is driving, I love it. Every time I get in the car I love it. But every time I get out of course I think ‘Should we do this, travel the world and spend resources?‘” he reflected.
The German tries to avoid flying whenever he can, but he is aware of the great polluting power that the Grand Circus has and that, with or without it, it is going to continue to pollute.
“On the other hand, we are entertaining people. During covid-19 we were one of the first sports to restart early. When everyone’s head was exploding, Formula 1 racing came back,” he recalled.
“I’m not saying Formula 1 has a great position in the entertainment world. There are other sports and other ways to be entertained, like culture, comedy. There were a lot of people who couldn’t go on with their work. I think if we didn’t have that in general, we would have gone crazy. There are a lot of questions about this that I ask myself,” he has insisted.
“There are things I do because I feel I can do them better. Do I need to take a plane every week? No, not if I can drive there. Like I said, there are certain things I can control and certain things I can’t,” Vettel said in closing.
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