‘We need to combine things we love’

Setembro 20, 2026 lojamais44@gmail.com

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel believes Formula 1 has the technology to pair its sustainability goals with an exciting on-track product.

As a racer with a deep-rooted passion for the history of the series, Vettel wasn’t the biggest proponent of the turbo hybrids coming into the series in 2014, criticising their dulled sound and the impact of their complexity on the racing product.

After a Ferrari hybrid failure in 2019’s Russian Grand Prix, Vettel famously shouted, “bring back the f***ing V12s” on the team radio.

As a prominent environmentalist, Vettel’s values and his love for old-school racing long seemed conflictive, but while “not agreeing on everything that we currently have in the regulations”, the German also feels the current advances in technology are opening up new opportunities to combine sustainability and excitement in the future.

“I think it is exciting,” Vettel said at the Italian Grand Prix, where he drove Michael Schumacher’s 2002 Ferrari F1 car, boasting a screaming, full-blooded V10.

“There’s so much more to unpack when you look at Formula 1. Of course, from a driver’s point of view I want to drive the best car and I want to win races. But then what is the best car? The car of 2002 has been the state of art car at that time and represents so much for what Formula 1 stands for.

“The cars today do the same and I think it’s about performance, precision, discipline, hard work but also responsibility and caring about the future, which these cars are trying to do.

“I’m probably not agreeing on everything that we currently have in the regulations from a driving point of view, but looking forward I think that’s where there’s a huge chance to take people on board.

“One doesn’t have to exclude the other. I think we need to find practises with everything so we are able to combine things that we love.”

Sebastian Vettel

Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Vettel has long been advocating the use of synthetic and e-fuels. While F1’s move to advanced sustainable fuels this season came too late to overlap with his own racing career, the four-time world champion was excited about the possibilities the move opens up for the future regulations, which are set to involve a return to bigger and louder V8s by 2030 or 2031.

“I think sustainable fuels are the step forward,” the 39-year-old said. “There’s huge potential not just for Formula 1 but also to inspire other racing series.

“If you shape the next generation of car, there’s a lot of potential to do so responsibly because some things that may be incredible from a technology point of view might not be transferable to the streets. I think there’s also a responsibility to do that.

“I look forward to what the future brings, because I think F1 has so many nice values that shaped me and inspired me in my life and touches a lot of people around the world. It has that power to do so on many other things that are meaningful and impactful.”

Vettel retired from competition at the end of the F1 2022 season but still competes regularly at the Race of Champions exhibition event, having signed up to take part in ROC New Zealand in January.