Sebastian Vettel fears Formula 1 future is under very SERIOUS threat

Vettel says goodbye to F1 in Abu Dhabi — Photo: © LAT Images

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel fears Formula 1 future is under very SERIOUS threat

The four-time world champion used sustainable fuels during his appearance at Goodwood

Dan Davis

Monday 17 July 2023 13:42

Sebastian Vettel has warned that Formula 1 and other motorsports are at risk of disappearing as a result of the growing climate crisis.

The four-time world champion, who stepped away from the grid at the end of the 2022 season, has passionately campaigned for environmental issues in recent years and believes racing could eventually be affected worldwide.

Vettel appeared on the final day of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed and took part in several demonstration runs in two historic cars.

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Indeed, he jumped behind the wheel of Nigel Mansell's title-winning FW14B from 1992 and Ayrton Senna's 1993 McLaren MP4/8 at the event whilst using sustainable fuels as part of his Race Without Trace initiative.

Speaking after climbing out of Mansell's iconic machine, Vettel once again aired his fears for the future of F1 - despite the sport switching to 100 per cent sustainable fuels from 2026 - and the ever-worsening climate emergency.

Vettel jumped behind the wheel of the iconic McLaren MP4/8

Vettel: We must be ahead of the wave

"It's not my project. We all live in the same world and we've got to look after it," he said in an interview with Karun Chandhok.

"The world is changing and it's very serious. I think we've got to look out for it. Obviously, I love motorsport and it would be a shame if events like this or races or motorsport as a whole would be at threat or were to disappear.

"That's why I would like to protect it. I want us to be ahead of the wave before we face that threat.

"I think all of us, we came here today, we admire these cars. I had the pleasure of driving some of them. It would be a shame if they were silent forever and if they were to disappear.

"We want to keep them alive and I think we can do that together."