War in Ukraine: Silence is not an option for Vettel

The Aston Martin driver had already revealed his opinion on the subject last week. He had announced his intention to boycott the Russian Grand Prix shortly after the declaration of war. The driver is also known for his stance on environmental and social issues, which were at the center of the debate last season.

« I think that everyone has an opinion. The question is whether everyone dares to share that opinion or not,” he explains. « I am not shy about it, quite the opposite. I believe that there are certain subjects on which you cannot remain silent. It is a strange feeling when you get out of bed and watch the news, to motivate yourself when you know exactly that some things are much more important. Innocent people are already dying. You can’t imagine the situation,” the four-time world champion confides. « I don’t think there is a winner in these kinds of things. It is an absolute shock and I believe that the consequence is very clear,” he adds.

For Vettel, even if not all the drivers have expressed themselves publicly yet, they all share the same point of view.

« At the moment, everyone is busy with themselves, but of course, it’s a bigger problem than any other. I’m certain that all the other drivers share this opinion. Anything else would surprise me. However, it’s not important at first glance whether we talk or not. The important thing is that, perhaps, the situation will relax and there will be an end. I don’t believe anyone wants an uncontrollable escalation, but it seems very difficult at the moment.

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The importance of business being questioned.

While the FIA announced in a statement the official cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix 2022, it also decreed that no driver would be allowed to race under the Russian flag. Sebastian Vettel expressed his thoughts on the financial matter.

« Values and morality should always come first. Business is not important at all in this regard. If people go to war and die, I can’t imagine that at all. Like everyone else, I sat and learned a lot in history class. I found everything that happened very interesting. I still think it’s extremely important to have these things in your consciousness and pay attention to them. You can’t forget such things. And you become more and more aware right now. As I said, there was hope that things would settle down. It’s terrible that it’s now out of control. », Vettel explained.

The Aston Martin driver took the opportunity to remind everyone of the essence of Formula 1.

Whether someone drives fast or not, whether the car is good or not, all of that is secondary. We have all had a life where we grew up without confrontations, without wars. There was a phase in the late 1990s, but to be honest, I was still a child and didn’t notice or understand much. Seeing now and hearing that people are being sent to the front lines, putting their lives in danger, and that some have already died, it’s terrible. As a human being, you only see things from this perspective. I wouldn’t understand if you couldn’t share that. Even as an athlete, you are always told not to get involved and to stay out of it. However, there are more important issues. I have no problem sharing my position on these subjects, concluded the former Red Bull driver.