Sebastian Vettel: Most Influential Environmentalist On The Grid
Sebastian Vettel, a four-time Formula One world champion, said that climate change has made him reconsider his work as a driver who travels the world to race cars.
On Thursday, speaking on BBC’s Question Time, the Aston Martin Driver talked about the conflict between his passion for Formula One and his beliefs on environmental issues.
Vettel said: “It’s my passion to drive a car. 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?'”
Is Vettel a hypocrite?
Given his choice of work, the Aston Martin driver admitted that his environmental credentials are somewhat inadequate. The German was questioned whether his environmental stance made him a hypocrite because of his involvement in the sport.
“It does, it does, and you’re right when you laugh,” he replied. “These are questions I ask myself every day, and I’m not a saint.
However, the driver tries to make amends for his gas-guzzling sport. Last year he spent hours cleaning up rubbish left by 140,000 spectators at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
In Miami, to emphasise the impacts of climate change, he wore a T-shirt with the words “Miami 2060 – first grand prix underwater – Act Now or Swim Later”.
He’s also outspoken about environmental issues and renewable energy, as well as human rights and LGBTQ+ issues.
F1 sustainability
Formula 1 has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030 for all races and team operations. It estimated its CO2 emissions at 256,551 tonnes when it presented its sustainability plan in 2019. Transportation and logistics accounted for about three-quarters of the total.
The cars themselves emit only 0.7 per cent of the sport’s total emissions due to the hybrid power unit.
In addition, in 2026, it will introduce entirely sustainable, carbon-neutral fuels at the same time as the new engines.
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