formula 1
Activist in the paddock: Vettel and the question of the future
Former world champion Sebastian Vettel has a good negotiating position at Aston Martin. Photo: Matt Dunham/AP/dpa
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The future is a big topic for Sebastian Vettel. Before the race in Silverstone, the Formula 1 star is once again taking a stand for climate protection. But what about his own future?
Between the green hills of Silverstone, Sebastian Vettel feels like a true Englishman.
“That’s true in many ways, even if the passport doesn’t show it,” said the 34-year-old ahead of the British Grand Prix, which is something of a substitute home game for him. His love of British humor, the rich motorsport heritage, his employer Aston Martin – for Vettel it is “a very special weekend”. To top it off, the Hessian treats himself to a ride in the 30-year-old Williams racing car, which Nigel Mansell once drove to the world championship title, on the Sunday before the race (4 p.m. / RTL and Sky).
The jaunt also shows how much Vettel’s attitude towards his job has changed. As so often in recent months, he also combines this appearance with a message for the protection of the climate and the environment. The car is filled with CO2-neutral fuel. “Completely sustainable” is therefore the show ride, asserts Vettel. The action was his idea, after all, the Formula 1 classic car has been his for a few years.
Vettel uses platform
For Vettel, the Grand Prix has become a platform far beyond the sport. In Miami, he drew attention to rising sea levels due to climate change. In Canada, he annoyed the hosts with criticism of the ecologically harmful tar sand mining for oil production. Vettel raises his voice against Russia’s war in Ukraine and supports the “Fridays for Future” movement. He campaigns for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, i.e. for people with different identities and sexual orientations. “More important than sport” are these issues, says Vettel.
Some observers ask themselves: How important is sport to him anyway? Vettel will be 35 on Sunday at Silverstone, and his three children have also shifted his priorities. “My children have helped me to understand that there is so much more than experiencing love in a completely different dimension,” he said in a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph.
Vettel still emphasizes his ongoing passion for racing. But it hurts the four-time world champion that he is stuck deep in midfield in the Aston Martin again this year. It has been more than 1000 days since the last of his 53 victories. His current contract expires at the end of the year. Could it then be over after 15 years in Formula 1? “It will depend on how this year goes,” Vettel said a few weeks ago. After nine races this season, he is 14th overall with 13 points.
Good negotiating position
Team boss Mike Krack knows that he can hardly guarantee Vettel victories or even titles in the medium term. Aston Martin’s new racing factory, which is being built a few meters from the main entrance to the track in Silverstone, will probably not go into operation before 2023 at the earliest and will not be able to make a difference that quickly. That’s another reason why Krack continues to rely on the Vettel factor and wants to keep the German. “It’s his decision whether he wants to drive or not. That’s very clear, »says the team boss.
Also in the absence of strong alternatives in the driver market, Vettel seems to be in a good negotiating position. For the time being, Krack will not issue an ultimatum on the question of the future. “We talk to each other and have a very, very good relationship,” says the Luxembourger.
But what does Vettel want? “I don’t feel old. Physically I still have a few good years left. That’s not the problem,” he says. The question for Vettel is rather: How long can the activist in the paddock stand being a marginal figure in sport?