Sebastian Vettel criticises 'culture of shame' as he opens up on sustainability

Motor racing champion Sebastian Vettel has voiced his concerns about the "culture of shame" surrounding carbon footprints, expressing his desire for more F1 figures to advocate for sustainability. The four-time Formula One world champion, who cited climate emergency and F1’s environmental impact as factors in his decision to retire in 2022, has initiated several sustainability projects in recent years. These include encouraging drivers and teams to construct insect hotels near circuits, racing vintage cars with synthetic fuels, and backing the creation of bee research facilities.

Speaking at London's Blue Earth Summit on Wednesday, Vettel expressed his wish to see more prominent F1 personalities vocalising their concerns about the climate crisis, but stressed that "all this shame culture doesn’t get us anywhere". "I think it’s the challenge of our lifetime," he told the PA news agency, adding that it is "exciting to take part" in finding solutions. He said: "We can all do that to a bigger and lesser degree, of course, but yeah – I would love to see more of that.



"And I know the potential of the platform – not just because it’s so popular, but also if you just look at the engineering power – how much knowledge and how much passion to look for more knowledge and to develop the better solution (that) is inside that world – to use that for a general benefit." The former Red Bull driver emphasised that more people speaking out is also about "realising that you don’t need to be ashamed". "Am I a hypocrite? Absolutely," he admitted.

"I travelled the world for so many years. If you want to know how big my footprint was flying around the world..

. I was shocked. I was embarrassed.

" But he emphasised that global sports events such as world championships are woven into the fabric of our society, "as a part of human culture". "These things are not going to just disappear by: ‘Let’s all hide in a tree and hide in the woods and live a life without any footprint'," he commented. Adding yet another layer, he said, "But I think working on solutions is very exciting.

" This comes against the backdrop of F1’s head of environment, social and governance Ellen Jones conceding that there's no instant fix for decarbonising the sport, even while detailing the steps her team is taking towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2030. When questioned about F1's current efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Vettel remarked, "I do get the feeling that obviously they’re taking it seriously. I do also believe that more can be done because I know what a powerful machinery F1 is and how much money floats around.

But I also know from recent years how much you can inspire people, or how much reach you have, which I think is a very powerful thing." The sport is currently embroiled in a debate about the number of races it holds each year, which now stands at an all-time high of 24. There are calls for F1 to reduce the number rather than increase it, and to adjust the calendar to minimise travel between events.

In efforts to cut emissions, F1 has reorganised some races, such as moving Japan's race to April to be closer to China's, and scheduling Qatar to follow Abu Dhabi. On the subject of the racing calendar, Vettel said: "There’s still room for improvement, I believe. Obviously, it’s a commercial decision as well in terms of how many races you have, and it’s a business that you’re running.

So I think some of the things you just have to, in a way, accept but that doesn’t mean that you can’t change within." "I have lots of comments from fans or people inside saying: ‘why are you trying to do this? This is not us’. Once you then talk to them and get into why I am convinced and why do I care, people start to open up.

"I think the audience in Formula One for racing is exactly one of these audiences that we need, because it’s not just inside here in this lovely venue where we will think alike. I think it’s trying to involve everyone. I’m very privileged.

I found a passion early on, and I really loved and fulfilled me and gifted me with a life that now I can afford to look at these kind of problems – like what might be wrong in the calendar. A lot of people don’t have the luxury.".