Vettel Says Climate Change Makes Him Question His F1 Job

May 06: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Aston Martin AMR22 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)
May 06: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Aston Martin AMR22 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)
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Vettel Says Climate Change Makes Him Question His F1 Job

May 06: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Aston Martin AMR22 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)
May 06: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Aston Martin AMR22 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)

Four times Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel said on Thursday that climate change had made him question his job as a driver traveling the world to race cars.

Speaking on BBC Question Time, a television panel show mixing politicians and celebrity guests, the German was asked whether his position on the environment made him a hypocrite considering he was part of a "gas-guzzling" sport.

"It does, it does, and you're right when you laugh," the 34-year-old father-of-three replied. "There's questions I ask myself every day and I'm not a saint.

"Certain things are in my control and certain things are not. It's my passion to drive a car, I love it and every time I step in the car I love it.

"When I get out of the car, of course I'm thinking as well 'Is this something that we should do, travel the world, wasting resources?'"

The Aston Martin driver wore a T-shirt before last weekend's Miami Grand Prix with the slogan "Miami 2060 - first grand prix underwater - Act Now or Swim Later" to highlight the effects of climate change.

He has also been outspoken about the environment and renewable energy.

Vettel said Formula One, which is making a big push for sustainability, also played an important social role as entertainment.

"There's things that I do because I feel I can do them better. Do I need to take a plane every time? No, not when I can take the car," added the driver, who is out of contract with his team at the end of the year.

Formula One is aiming to achieve a net zero-carbon footprint by 2030, with 100% sustainable fuels from 2026 when a new engine is introduced.

Vettel also offered opinions on Brexit, the war in Ukraine, whether Finland should join NATO, energy dependence and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's involvement in a "partygate" scandal over breaches of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.