After protests that culminated in an invasion of the Silverstone Circuit during the British GP, Sebastian Vettel acknowledged the risks of the demonstration - but made it clear that he understands the reason behind the mobilization
The British GP, held last Sunday (3) at Silverstone, could have ended in tragedy. Besides the frightening accident of Chinese Guanyu Zhou, a protest by the activist group 'Just Stop Oil' - which fights for changes in licensing and production of fossil fuels - took place on the first lap, with protesters sitting in a line on the track. Sebastian Vettel, one of the most engaged names in social causes on the motorsport scene, commented on the issue.
The German pointed out that he sympathizes with those who want to protest for a better world and for changes in society - such as climate change, which is of fundamental importance to the British group - but stressed the danger of entering a track with cars that are used to reaching over 300 km/h.
"Everyone is free to have their own views on the subject," Vettel said. "I don't think these people acted out of frustration but out of desperation and I sympathize with their fears, their anxieties. I think everyone who understands the size of the problem we are facing can understand," he stressed.
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The protest only did not take dramatic contours precisely because of the accident right at the start, which involved, besides Zhou, at least four other cars: George Russell, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon and Vettel himself, which hit the Thai's Williams. With chaos formed on the first lap, the red flag was soon waved and the drivers slowed down. Still, they recorded protesters being restrained in various parts of the circuit.
"On the other hand, I understand the other point [of the situation]. There are inspectors trying to stop people from doing this kind of thing," he continued. "And you're putting people at risk who are involved in the race, like drivers and inspectors. So there are two sides," the four-time world champion argued.
Finally, Vettel addressed the issue directly and talked about the future implementation of sustainable fuel in Formula 1, scheduled to come into play with the new engine regulations - that is, in 2026. Discussions around the topic are still ongoing, but the German is hoping that the change will happen as soon as possible.
"I'm not making decisions here, but obviously I can ask questions, and the plan is to go in that direction," he indicated. "There are pros and cons when you talk about synthetic fuels. How you do it, what's the source, that kind of thing. But we have no time to waste. Obviously, the introduction is planned for 2026. I don't think everybody is easily agreeing to switch earlier. In the end it would probably be the right decision to change as early as possible," he finished.