Owner of chassis 08 of Williams' historic and winning 1992 car - designed by Adrian Newey, considered to be a jewel of aerodynamics - the four-time world champion said he had an idea to celebrate the car's 30th anniversary, but stressed the desire to celebrate "in a responsible way". Therefore, the use of carbon-neutral fuels
Sebastian Vettel will drive Williams' historic FW14B before next Sunday's Formula One British Grand Prix. As announced by the four-time world champion on Thursday (30), the Grove-based team's car - which won the 1992 season title for Nigel Mansell five races in advance - will run on carbon-neutral fuel.
"I hope I have a lot of fun, and I hope people can share that fun, because I think it's an amazing car and the history of the car and the way it sounds, I'm looking forward to it. In terms of fuel, it was actually a struggle to find the right supply, but once we found it, it was really very easy - it took us just one shakedown to get the car under control," Vettel began to explain.
"You will see on Sunday, it is no different from how the car was 30 years ago. It will sound exactly the same, it will be driven the same way, and I won't try in a few laps to reach the absolute limit, but I will try to enjoy it. Which means going as fast as I feel comfortable, keeping in mind that it's my car - and that's maybe a little different than using a borrowed car. I think it will be fun and I think it's great to show people. Motoring is our passion, it's what we grew up with. I think the cars I dreamed of as a kid are different from some of the other drivers, but it's important to find a way to do this responsibly in the future, as well as to keep these cars and the history alive," added the four-time world champion.
"In the end, you can express culture in many ways: music, arts... but our way of expressing it is driving race cars, and it would be a shame if all that disappeared. I think it's a way to keep that alive, and looking ahead, Formula 1 is going in that direction in 2026. It could be sooner, but it is what it is for many reasons," he finished.
As Vettel himself revealed, he owns the FW14B chassis 08 - used in 13 of the 16 races in 1992, with seven pole-positions to his account. The initiative of the demonstration at Silverstone came from the four-time world champion himself, who wants to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Williams' car - winner of both the Constructors' Championship and the British GP that year.
Williams amazed the sporting world with the FW14B. In the 1992 season, champion Nigel Mansell scored 14 poles and won 9 of the 16 championship races. The model designed by Adrian Newey, still considered a jewel of aerodynamics, stood out for its onboard electronics, semi-automatic gearbox, traction control, and active suspension. On the track, the car was one of the most dominant in history, to the point that many, including the narrator Galvão Bueno, called it the 'car from another planet'.
"It was my idea, the car is mine - I bought it because the 'red five' is the 1992 car, with the red 5 on it, and that means a little bit more than just the car from 30 years ago. Obviously I have the number 5 on my car, I won my first championship with the red five, even though it was a little smaller then. I wore it in go-karts and I wear it now, so there is a connection. I think the first years of the 1990s are the first memories I have of Formula One, of that car and the years that followed," Vettel revealed.
"But I also thought we had to do this responsibly, so I'm using carbon-neutral fuels on Sunday to demonstrate that we can still maintain our history, heritage and culture in motorsport, but in a more responsible way. So I'm really looking forward to driving the car for the first time and hearing it. I think many people will share this joy with me," concluded the Aston Martin driver.