Sebastian Vettel has admitted that his feelings about renewable energy and climate change make him question his position as an F1 driver
Sebastian Vettel has emerged as an important voice within motorsport in recent years about the climate issues facing the world, as well as other important social and political matters such as LGBTQ+ rights and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The 4-time F1 world champion and Aston Martin driver Vettel appeared on the British television program Question Time on Thursday night to discuss several current political and global issues, placing a heavy emphasis on the energy crisis. Vettel stressed the importance of countries not being dependent on sole energy supplies, citing Germany’s reliance on Russian energy and the position in which it leaves his home country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Speaking on climate and environmental issues, Vettel said, “There are certain things that are in my control, and certain things are not. It’s my passion to drive a car, and I love it. And every time I step in the car, I love it. When I get out of the car, of course I’m thinking as well, is this something we should do? Travel the world, wasting resources?”
Sebastian Vettel has publicly acknowledged that working in Formula 1, with the beliefs he holds about the need for renewable energy, makes him hypocritical due to the nature of the fuel used within his sport.
Asked if racing in F1 makes him a hypocrite, Vettel said, “It does. I’m not a saint. I’m very concerned when it comes to the future, so these topics when it comes to energy, energy dependence and where we’re going in the future.”
He further added, “It is something that I’m asking myself, whether he should be racing in F1 and travelling the world. There’s a lot of questions that I ask myself. There’s a lot of things that I do because I feel I can do them better.”
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