In the twilight of his F1 career, Sebastian Vettel showed he was more than just a four-time World Champion. He won the hearts of the F1 community by speaking out on important issues, hoping to inspire positive change—especially around driver safety, one of his most widely discussed topics.
Vettel retired from F1 in 2022 but has still not stopped advocating for the stars of the sport. He hopped back onto the spotlight after the recently concluded Sao Paolo GP, which saw many crashes take place under treacherous conditions at Interlagos. Many of these crashes were severe enough that, without mitigating factors and advanced safety measures, the drivers could have been seriously injured.
Vettel, together with former F1 driver Alex Wurz, created an Instagram account for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA). News of this spread like wildfire, with nearly all current drivers following the account, helping it quickly amass a total of 200k followers.
“Alex Wurz and Sebastian Vettel organized nothing more and nothing less than a drivers’ association to promote safety and fair treatment for all of them,” read a post from @f1gossipofficial.
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This was an important step by Wurz and Vettel, giving drivers a public platform to share concerns and opinions that could drive change.
However, it’s worth clarifying that the duo did not establish the GPDA; it was an already existing organization dedicated to collectively promoting the drivers’ voices. Vettel and Wurz merely created a social media presence for the association.
What is the Grand Prix Driver’s Association?
The GPDA was initially formed in 1961 with Sir Stirling Moss its very first chairman. However, under former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone’s regime, this association of drivers was disbanded in 1982. That said, it wasn’t long before it forced its way through again.
After the tragic death of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino GP, Gerhard Berger, Niki Lauda, and Michael Schumacher reconvened the GPDA. Their aim was to support the voices of the drivers and promote their safety and respect in all matters.
Vettel served as a director for the GPDA from 2010 until his retirement in 2022. Among the current F1 grid, only George Russell holds a director position within the association. Wurz, meanwhile, has been the GPDA’s chairman since 2014.
