Welcome at RacingNews365

Become part of the largest racing community in the United Kingdom. Create your free account now!

  • Share your thoughts and opinions about F1
  • Win fantastic prizes
  • Get access to our premium content
  • Take advantage of more exclusive benefits
Sign in

Vettel questions mounting costs of junior categories

Having gone through the junior ranks on his way to F1, Sebastian Vettel knows the costs associated with motorsport. While he doesn't think the issue will be addressed anytime soon, he believes it should be more accessible.

After Lewis Hamilton recently raised concerns regarding the rising costs of competing in junior categories, Sebastian Vettel echoed those thoughts while stating there is no quick fix to the problem. The Mercedes driver called F1 a billionaire boys' club in a recent interview with AS . When asked about the situation, Vettel pointed out that while costs were lower when he was starting out, they were still relatively high. "It's a difficult one," Vettel told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media. "There is no quick fix. Ultimately, the costs are too high. "In all honesty, if I look back to when I started, costs were lower, but they were still high. I was very fortunate. I had Mr Gerhard Noack looking after me, who was the same man who looked after Michael [Schumacher] when he started, probably 20 years before me as a young child. “It was already very expensive back then, so I think Michael was in need of help. I was in need, because I couldn't afford it. I think the first season we did in karts, we managed sort of half on our own and then we started to be very lucky to find people that supported and helped us." While Vettel pointed out that the world of motorsport has always been an expensive hobby, he believes efforts should be made to make it more accessible to children of different backgrounds. “I think since then, the world has changed," Vettel aded. "I think sponsoring has changed. And probably the readiness to invest money in young kids and motorsport has changed as well. In short, it has always been tricky. “I don't think there will be a quick fix, but there are certain things that could be addressed to try and make the sport more accessible for all types of backgrounds and all children. It is an expensive hobby, no matter which way you look at it. But certainly it's gone wild in the last years, and got way too expensive.”

x
RESULTS 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix - Sprint Shootout