Sebastian Vettel has never been shy about saying what he thinks.
But his way of thinking and dealing with things away from the track has changed as he has grown older and learned more.
Vettel revealed that he will leave Formula One at the end of the season after a great career. Before the Dutch Grand Prix, he talked about how he plans to adjust to life with his family.
But the 35-year-old said that as he has gotten older and become more aware of problems outside of racing, he is more willing to take steps to deal with them.
“It sounds like a cliche, but when you turn 30, things change. I mean, I have kids, so things are different,” he said. “Even though I’m the same as I was 10 years ago, I’m not the same, and a lot has changed.”So, too, when it comes to your hobbies, how you see the world, and how you understand it. I think I’ve always tried to see things, but maybe I didn’t see as many things when I was young as I do now. Some things make me wonder, “What? How could you have missed them?'”
And one of the things that Vettel cares a lot about is climate change and how much should be done to stop it.
The four-time world champion said earlier this year that climate change made him question his job as a driver who races cars all over the world.
Vettel thinks that the racing industry isn’t putting enough of its huge gains back into the sport because “the problem we face is bigger than we may realize.”
“I think Formula One has a lot of money, and a lot of money comes and goes. The question is how much money we are willing to put back into the sport. “I think that’s true for all businesses, not just Formula One,” Vettel said.
“Obviously, we have big events that a lot of people go to, so you need to have the infrastructure to move these people if you don’t want them to come by car, like in the Netherlands, where there are only two roads and it would be a disaster if everyone could come by car.”
F1 is trying to do something about climate change by putting in place new rules for engines in 2026.
In this new generation of cars, the engines will use a lot less energy, run on fully renewable fuels, and put out no CO2 at all, but they will still have the same speed and power that people enjoy.
Vettel thinks that these changes could be made sooner if the sport wanted to, but it would have to put “internal problems” aside.
“It’s clear that when we do what we love, we burn fuel, and that’s what other people see. And it’s okay if people criticize that,” he said.
“It’s fair to criticize when we’re talking about a winter where people might not be as comfortable as they used to be and might be freezing at home and will have to deal with a lot of different problems, like not being able to pay their bills, etc.” So I think it’s good that we recognize that and try to stop it.”
He added: “We, you and I, need to rethink how we act and be okay with changing some things and giving up some safety. Let’s face it, most of the time it comes down to comfort.
“On the other hand, it needs changes that are made all the time. It needs rules and laws that make it impossible to hold the event unless certain things are done and certain boxes are checked.
What’s next?
Like Serena Williams, who is a great winner in another sport, Vettel will leave the driver’s seat, hang up his helmet, and stop racing in 2022.
During his 15-year career, he won 53 races and got on the podium 122 times. This made him one of the best drivers in the sport.
Between 2010 and 2013, he was the best F1 driver. While driving for Red Bull, he won the driver’s championship title four years in a row.
Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have won more races than Vettel, who is in his second year driving for Aston Martin after six years with Ferrari.
Vettel is excited to spend more time with his three kids now that he doesn’t have to think about how he’s doing on the track. He has had a long and successful career behind the wheel.
Vettel said, “It might sound funny, but I just want to be there when I’m there and not in my head thinking about what I might need to do, prepare, or think about to beat the other drivers.”
He also said, “And I know that the way I’ve done this job for so many years, and the way I want to do it, and the way I’m sure it’s right to do it, takes a lot of work and energy. And it doesn’t work if you try to do everything at the same time.”So, it’s been hard no matter what, but I think I’ve done well to be there and do this. I think the time is right to do other things, like I said, which includes spending a lot of time with my family, but I also want to find out more about myself and my hobbies and give them more space, time, and room to grow.
But Vettel knows that he will be forgotten because of the way time works, even though he is one of the most successful drivers in F1 history.
“Because of the races and what I’ve done on the track. But one day, no one will remember that because there are new kids who are doing great and will keep doing great. Then there will be new children.So, I hope that in the future we’ll also have some girls and women. I don’t think it’s important that people remember me, and it doesn’t bother me if they do. So I’m happy with what I’ve done, but it’s natural that as time goes on, there will be new heroes to honor.
