This weekend, Sebastian Vettel is driving on the iconic Goodwood Hill in cars from his own collection, Nigel Mansell’s championship-winning Williams FW14B and Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/8 from 1993. As part of Vettel’s continuous campaign to raise awareness of the effects that motorsport has on the environment, both vehicles have been modified to run on synthetic fuels.
Photo Credit: Goodwood Road & Racing
Ahead of Sunday’s runs, the four-time world champion talked with media outlets that included Pit Debrief about the responsibility that Formula 1 has on bringing awareness and innovations to the dire climate issues that the world is facing, a stance he maintained in the past few years.
“Other than obviously the cars directly polluting, F1 has a huge responsibility because it’s a very big event.
“A lot of people attend, I think you had around 500,000 people in the British Grand Prix last weekend. So there’s a lot more to it than just the cars but obviously the cars, everybody sees them.
“It’s important that it’s headed in the right direction. But I’m talking [with F1] and I have some ideas. Obviously, we’ll see what the future brings.”
Photo Credit: David Coath | Pit Debrief
The German driver was also seen in Monaco earlier this season and in Silverstone last week, appearances that raised questions on whether there is a possibility of him returning to the sport.
When asked about the possibility of returning to F1 or worked for the FIA, he said: “We’ll see but I have some ideas. I’ve been to Monaco earlier this year. I had a very good meeting with [F1 president] Stefano [Domenicali].”
However, he added that his decision to retire still is his priority and he’s not rushing to make any decisions on returning to the sport.
“There’s lots of interest from different angles, But I set myself the goal last year that I want to be free and I say no to a lot of things in the first place. Because I want to get to know this version of myself, that doesn’t have let’s say a fixed schedule and is able to look into different things and get inspired.
“That’s still the journey I’m on. I’m spending a lot of time with my kids as well. We’ve done a bit of travelling as well in the van so I do enjoy that. But certainly I also know that I will not be living the life of my kids, it’s not going to be my main task.
“Even though I want to be there for them. But I think sooner or later, I will probably figure it out and take on a new challenge.”
