By Abed Bsatt | Contributing Writer
Sebastian Vettel, a four-time Formula 1 world champion, waved goodbye to the sport he loves so dearly last weekend as he decided to step down from the pinnacle of motorsport to free up space on the grid for the up-and-coming drivers, and to spend more time with his family. With 53 wins and 122 podium finishes, Sebastian is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history. But beyond his racing records, who is Sebastian, or Seb for short, and what are his most notable achievements?
Besides being a racing driver, Sebastian is known for being a vocal activist in regard to driver safety within the sport. Since 2010, Sebastian has been an elected director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) which serves as a trade union for Formula 1 drivers and provides them with representation within the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the sport’s governing body. On numerous occasions, Sebastien has led several meetings where drivers discussed the potential risks of participating in a race weekend. Most recently, this season’s Saudi Arabian GP was subject to some controversy and a lengthy four-hour meeting between the drivers, the FIA, and local authorities when a missile struck the Saudi Aramco oil facility near the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Ultimately, all those involved unanimously voted to move forward with the race weekend after receiving reassurance from local authorities that it is safe to continue, and that the situation is being handled with utmost responsibility.
Beyond the limitations of the track, Sebastian has continuously lobbied for several humanitarian and environmental causes. Starting with his favorite cause, climate change, he set up several initiatives to counter the attack on climate change. As for “Save the Bees”, Sebastian took on an ambassador role with the BEESandAPPLE project to help them towards their goal of creating 100 hectares of new habitat for bees to pollinate. So, at the Styria Grand Prix in 2021, he and a couple of primary school students built a bee hotel in the shape of a racetrack. The bee hotel’s capacity is currently full, and plans to build more hives to give more bees a safe home are in progress . However, his efforts did not stop there. During the lengths of the British Grand Prix of that same year, Sebastian and a team of volunteers led a litter-picking exercise at the famous Silverstone track. Later on, he went to visit Grundon, a company that specializes in waste disposal and waste management, to learn first-hand about the waste management process and discuss potential partnerships with the facility for future litter-picking events.
Women empowerment and LGBT rights are some monumental causes for Sebastian. Throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix, Sebastian wore a rainbow-colored t-shirt with “Same Love” printed on the front, a pride helmet, and a rainbow facemask. This came at a time when Hungary’s parliament was pushing another anti-LGBT legislation, adding to the existing laws that discriminate against the community. Sebastian was reprimanded for the gesture by the FIA and was at risk of disqualification from the race. When asked about his thoughts on a potential disqualification, Sebastian replied, “I’m happy if they disqualify me. They can do what they want. I don’t care. I’d do it again.” Sebastian was not alone that weekend, as his competitor and close friend, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, also joined in the protest. During his retirement announcement video, Sebastian asserted his stance on LGBT rights by claiming that “We all have the same right to live, no matter what we look like, where we come from, and who we love.” As for women empowerment, Sebastian wanted to push for more inclusion of women in motorsport, so prior to the inauguration of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Sebastian organized a private karting event for eight women from the region. He shared some of his experiences on the track and aspired some of these women to compete in serious competitions. This initiative was labeled and promoted as #Race4Women.
Towards the end of his retirement announcement video, Sebastian shared a memorable saying which, in my opinion, I and the rest of the Formula 1 community disagree with. “The marks I left on track will stay until time and rain will wash them away,” he said. No, Sebastian, your marks will remain memorable in this sport for generations to come. Not only because of your achievements on the track, but because of your commitment to saving the environment and your fierce compassion toward advocating for marginalized communities. You will forever be one of the sport’s greats. An unforgettable moment for myself and many others is that first “du bist weltmeister” moment. Danke Seb, for everything you’ve done on and off the track.