As they belong to the elite of the sport, competing in the most prominent international category of motorsport, Formula 1 drivers have become accustomed to a certain way of traveling. First-class flights and private jets are business as usual for many in F1, a world that is often (rightly) seen as elitist, detached from much of reality and blinded by its own dramas.
However, if you had been on a train in England last Thursday, you would have seen a man with disheveled hair wearing a blue and green checkered shirt. You probably would have walked past him without batting an eye, and of course you wouldn’t have said hello or attempted any interaction, which is an unwritten rule when traveling to work in London.
It’s not the mode of transport a four-time F1 world champion would be used to, but for Sebastian Vettel, it was an important day. Having returned to Europe from Miami, where an accident with his friend and protégé Mick Schumacher had ended his hopes of scoring points, the German now embarked on a very different mission. Arguably a much bigger one as it was exposed on one of the most gigantic platforms it had ever appeared on.
This had nothing to do with Formula 1. Vettel was appearing on the BBC’s famous political talk show, Question Time , becoming the first working Formula 1 driver to do so. Question Time is mythical both for British television and for the country’s politics. Since the show began in 1979, every sitting British Prime Minister except Margaret Thatcher has appeared on the panel of talkers, which is always made up of a sitting government minister, an opposition counterpart and three other public figures. .
Vettel has become one of F1’s most important and relevant voices on matters outside of the sport in recent years. Along with Lewis Hamilton, he was one of the most active members of the anti-racism gridiron in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd . He protested against Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law referendum in 2021, calling it “shameful” and wearing a rainbow grid shirt that got him reprimanded for violating FIA protocols. He has been especially candid about climate change, emphasizing the need for F1 to do more to be cognizant of the issues facing the world right now.
Vettel y su camiseta pro LGTBIQ+
Question Time was the perfect platform for Vettel. Few (if any) on the grid have such an understanding of current global affairs and the existential threats facing our planet, preferring to brush off media questions by stating that “they don’t know all the details.” “. Some fans like it that way and want their heroes to stick to racing , a dangerous mantra that only breeds ignorance.
The plan for Vettel to appear in Question Time was worked out by Aston Martin’s communications team, headed by former F1 Racing editor and Autosport columnist Matt Bishop . Given that Vettel has been racing full-time in F1 since 2008, it’s unlikely that attending to media or sponsor commitments would offer anything new or particularly appealing to him, but it was something very different that would offer him the opportunity to speak. on matters much deeper than long-run race pace and tire compounds.
By the time he arrived at the studio in Hackney ( Question Time moves around the UK, but was held in that east London borough last week), Vettel had already done a lot that day. He visited the Feltham Young Offenders Institution and helped open a new auto shop there that will be used to teach inmates basic car and engine maintenance skills. The hope is that it will give them the opportunity to find employment when they serve their sentences .
“Every time I get in the car, I love it. When I get out of the car, of course I’m also thinking: is this something we should be doing, traveling the world wasting resources?” Sebastian Vettel
“Life can be very fair, but it can also be unfair,” he said. “The most important thing is that we all have a second chance. We need to find something that sparks our passion or interest. That is the idea of holding a workshop here.”
One inmate said that opened “a door” for them before their release, and that Vettel had been “very motivating and inspiring” to talk to them.
The next step for the German was Oasis Johanna Primary School in London, where he helped open a new therapy room that will help children struggling with mental health by adding it to their curriculum. Oasis Nature helps people in poverty-stricken settings and areas, giving children the opportunity to access services that might not otherwise be available.
Vettel jumped into a taxi to Hackney for Question Time , where he was to appear alongside Conservative MP and Attorney General Suella Braverman , Labor MP Shabana Mahmood , economist Miatta Fahnbulleh and comedian Geoff Norcott . Under the show’s format, hosted by Fiona Bruce , audience members submit questions that act as starting points for discussions. Audience members come from a variety of ideologies with different political views, and often chime in to make comments during debates to help them move forward .
Vettel speaks to inmates at the Feltham Young Offenders Institution
The fragile nature of British politics today, given the continuing aftershocks of Brexit , the ‘Partygate’ scandal and wider global issues, meant that it was inevitable that Braverman and Mahmood would play the most central roles in the debate. But that did not mean that they left Vettel aside or that he did not seek to participate, quite the opposite.
When the initial discussion of the cost of living crisis amid rising energy prices and the need for government intervention was brought up, Vettel was not out of step, pointing out similarities to the situation in Germany and the danger of relying on others. countries (as the only source of energy) as was the case with Russia, the invader of Ukraine.
“We should have addressed these dangers or threats a long time ago,” Vettel said. “We have to put the next gear and prepare for the future.”
That was the first sign of the class and calm that Vettel maintained in stark contrast to some of the attacks between Braverman and Mahmood: the former was accused of “making up numbers” on the windfall tax and claimed that Labor was ” desperate to make headlines with his promises”, forcing Bruce to intervene.
The debate turned to the Northern Ireland protocol, a sensitive element of the Brexit agreement to deal with the border between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Mahmood flustered, avoiding eye contact with any other panelists, and pointed a finger at the European Union for causing trouble, at which point he asked Vettel to weigh in.
“Well, I’m not familiar with all the details!” he joked, drawing laughter from the audience, before being encouraged to “get into the discussion.” He explained how most Germans did not understand the decision to leave the European Union and re-emphasized the need for unity to deal with larger issues such as social justice and climate change. Interestingly, Vettel’s was perhaps the most sensible position taken on Brexit in the last decade from both sides of the debate.
On the ‘Partygate’ scandal in which Prime Minister Boris Johnson violated his own confinement laws, Vettel again articulated: “We all make mistakes, we are all human. But there are certain things that I think come with the position or job that you hold and what you can’t do.
Vettel, en Question Time
But there was one unavoidable issue.
“You’ve talked a lot in most of the questions we’ve been on about energy,” said Bruce, “and here you are, you’re an F1 driver, one of the most fuel-guzzling sports in the world! Does that make you a hypocrite?”
Most of the panelists would have cringed at the use of the word hypocrite. Vettel did not, and grabbed the bull by the horns.
“Yes, it does, and you’re right when you laugh,” he said upon hearing the reaction of the audience, admitting that it was something that questioned whether it made sense to continue in F1. “Every time I get in the car, I love it,” he said. “When I get out of the car, of course I also think, is this something we should be doing, traveling the world wasting resources?”
That phrase inevitably appeared in all the headlines, even on Motorsport.com. However, it was a rare display of self-awareness and humility on the part of a Question Time crowd . The point of having non-government public figures on the show is that they can say things and be more candid without worrying about the impact on the electorate or, even more worrying, about their own political aspirations. Still, few would be willing to dig into such large holes in their own beliefs or ways of life.
That is what sets Vettel apart and makes him a great credit to F1. Had there been more time, I might have countered Bruce’s “petrol-guzzling” retort that engines account for 0.7% of F1’s carbon footprint, and the series wants to be carbon neutral by 2030, but his appearance was nothing more than a resounding success. His humility and grace is something we should all take note of and try to draw lessons from, and he set an example for the parliamentarians who alongside him became increasingly entangled in his arguments as the discussion progressed.
There is no hiding the fact that we are now in the home stretch of Vettel’s F1 career. In the summer it will decide its future and whether to continue beyond 2022. As the series continues to expand and become more demanding, F1 is arguably moving further than ever from its own beliefs and what it wants from life.
Vettel’s humility on the Question Time panel contrasted sharply with the rivalry between the politicians and served as a reminder of his value to F1.
Every driver has to think about their post-F1 life at some point, and Question Time demonstrated the power that Vettel could have as a speaker, or whether he dares enter that field, even as a politician. He may have flaws, but he genuinely cares about things that affect everyone, like the survival of our planet and what the world will be like for the generations that follow us.
And as much as some may not want to hear this, it’s far more important than watching race cars go around circuits. This is our passion, of course, our source of joy and, for many, a livelihood. Vettel himself made clear the importance of F1 as entertainment for people, especially as one of the first major sporting events to return after the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. But we must ensure that our thinking is not divert from the most important points: social and racial justice; environmental issues; Equality for all.
When Vettel hangs up his helmet, it will be critical that not only does F1 as a whole not lose sight of these matters without one of its biggest stars, but that Vettel himself also tries to find a platform from which to remain as active and candid. Question Time was a taste of what Vettel could look like post-F1 and, for everyone’s sake, continue to be the important voice we need .
