“Probably not all the drivers care”- Sebastian Vettel surprised following F1’s removal of the pre-race drivers’ ceremony

Samriddhi Jaiswal | 13/02/2022
"Probably not all the drivers care"- Sebastian Vettel surprised following F1's removal of the pre-race drivers' ceremony

Sebastian Vettel was surprised by F1’s decision to remove the pre-race drivers’ ceremony ahead of the 2022 championship.

Through the We Race As One initiative F1 has campaigned for increased diversity since the beginning of the 2020 season. One of the ways to do so was to hold a drivers ceremony before the race. Sebastian Vettel admitted that its discontinuation took him by surprise.

In the ceremony, the drivers would gather around at the front of the grid while many opted to take the knee. Recently, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali announced that the ceremony will no longer be held. However, if the drivers wish they will still be able to take the knee.

In the 2021 season, the Aston Martin driver took the opportunity to stand up for many causes. One incident that held the spotlight longer than the other was at the Hungarian GP.

Vettel wore a rainbow-coloured T-shirt featuring the slogan ‘same love’ after speaking out against Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Also Read: Sebastian Vettel reveals what was his dream career and how he got into motoracing

Sebastian Vettel disappointed with the decision

At the 2021 British GP, Vettel caught the headlines after he helped remove litter from the stands. The German racing driver has also been critical of the race schedules.

He believes that the geographically proximate races should be held on consecutive weekends. It will help reduce emissions from travelling. The four-time world champion also hosted an all-women karting event during the weekend of the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Disappointed that now drivers will not get the platform to present their views, Vettel hopes that the drivers find a way to support various causes.

Asked if F1 had kept him informed about the planned changes, Vettel said, “No they just changed it. I think the issues that we’re tackling are not going to be gone within two years. Therefore I was a bit surprised.”

“I hope that as drivers we find a way to get together and find a slot [to] still [be] expressing topics that are important to us.”

“Probably not all the drivers care, but I think there’s some that really do care, and it would be great to get together, but probably it was getting a bit too strong and too individual for the business side of things.”

Also Read: Sebastian Vettel denies possibility of replacing Lewis Hamilton amidst rumours of Mercedes interest

Post Edited By: Samriddhi Jaiswal
Sebastian Vettel

About the author

Samriddhi Jaiswal

Samriddhi Jaiswal is an F1 editor and writer at The SportsRush. She started her career as a business journalist but soon found her calling in lights out here we go! Samriddhi has been a Ferrari fan even when her interaction with F1 was occasional. Her first real experience with the thrilling sport came when Charles Leclerc clinched his iconic victory in Spa and Monza and painted the track red. Now, a Tifosi, Samriddhi is a hardcore fan of the prancing horse and can relate to the chaos within the Italian camp and also admires Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Off the track, she finds her home in books and musical instruments.

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