Sebastian Vettel - Some of F1's revenue "not very pure"

Sebastian Vettel

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Vettel - Some of F1's revenue "not very pure"

Aston Martin driver feels it "wrong" F1 visits certain countries

Ian Parkes

Monday 1 November 2021 12:44

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Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel has questioned the derivation of certain areas of F1's revenues, believing some of the monies it receives is "not very pure" given some of the countries visited on the calendar.

Over the next few weeks, F1 takes in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, two Middle Eastern nations whose human rights records have been questioned, in particular, by such leading groups as Amnesty International which has accused them of 'sportswashing'.

Other countries in Bahrain, China, Russia and Azerbaijan have also been subjected to criticism and accusations with regard to their internal practices.

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Vettel, who has become an advocate for change and has spoken out this year on key issues such as the environment and LGBTQ+ rights, feels F1 needs to take greater responsibility when it visits such countries.

Speaking to this writer in a recent interview for The New York Times, Vettel said: "There's a lot of countries where we go to and a lot of money, in a way, that we receive that maybe it's not very pure.

"It's a difficult thing to get into, obviously. Some countries are better off than others in this respect.

"I think, in a way, it's wrong we go to certain places because then if you had morale, then you would just say no.

"But obviously, financially, I can see there's a huge incentive for Formula 1 as a business to go there."

Vettel recognises that while each individual within a team has a voice, it is not always easy to speak out on such difficult subjects.

"Where does it leave us?" questioned Vettel.

"Where does it leave the mechanics, the engineers, the drivers? Where does it leave the people employed by a team to do a job that they willingly do, and it's not their choice or their decision where to practice that job? I think it's a difficult one.

"As a broader organisation, I think it's to do with the responsibility that we have to, overall, just grow in awareness and consciousness that we have a responsibility with our actions.

'Whether that is hosting a Formula 1 event, whether that is running a company, whether that is selling a product.

"I think we need to start facing more the consequences of our actions and take on that responsibility."