The huge legacy Vettel is leaving behind in F1 with his activism

Sebastian Vettel has completed his very last Formula 1 race and is officially retired. The German bid farewell to the sport at the season finale in Abu Dhabi after a successful career. However, Vettel has not only been important to F1 as a driver, but also as an activist.

After four world titles, 53 victories and 57 pole positions, Vettel has bid farewell to Formula 1. The German was particularly successful in his years at Red Bull Racing. In 2015, he made the switch to Ferrari with the aim of becoming world champion with the iconic Italian team. Unfortunately, that dream did not come true for Vettel, and after an extremely disappointing season in 2019, the German made the surprising move to Aston Martin.

From winner's mentality to activist

With the focus no longer on winning the title (Aston Martin simply did not have the car to compete for victories), Vettel seemed to shift his focus to activism in the sport. The experienced driver realised that there is more to racing than just motorsport. In the past two years, therefore, the four-time world champion has meant a lot to Formula 1 with various actions to raise awareness of issues in society.

Vettel leaves a huge legacy in F1 as one of the few drivers (along with Lewis Hamilton) to constantly speak out about racism, diversity, LGBTQ+ rights and climate issues. While fans could still enjoy his talent over the past two years, his activism off the track has played an important role in his final seasons in F1.

With Vettel's departure and the expectation that Hamilton too will not stay in the sport for many years to come, the question arises as to which drivers will speak out on important issues within society in the future. In any case, Vettel hopes he has been able to inspire the younger drivers on the grid with his activism, just as he has done for his millions of fans. With F1's multi-million audience and the drivers' large online platforms, a real difference can be made, especially when the sport still makes questionable choices when it comes to the Grands Prix where F1 hosts races (take Qatar and Saudi Arabia, for example).

Highlights activism Vettel

Vettel has highlighted his passion for activism in the sport over the past two years. He did this mainly by appearing in the paddock wearing shirts that carried a special message. The German often wore the shirts on the grid before the start of a race to highlight various issues. Meanwhile, some shirts are also available on his website. The money goes to the charities the shirts are based on.

During the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, Vettel spoke out about climate change. The German wore an eye-catching shirt. "The message is clear: the race in Miami in 2060 will be underwater if we do nothing about climate change," he said. "After all, experts have been warning for years that global warming is melting the polar ice, which will lead to a global rise in sea levels," Vettel's message read in May.

In Saudi Arabia, Vettel stood up for the country's women. The four-time world champion organised a karting event for eight young women from the Jeddah area. "I was very happy to meet these young women, who come from very different backgrounds and brought with them different experiences in karting. They all impressed me."

In Hungary in 2021, where Vettel lost his podium finish after a disqualification, the German spoke out about gay rights in the country. "The rights and freedoms of homosexuals are part of our lives and should not be questioned. There should be no laws against that. That's backward, you shouldn't think about something like that anymore." The German appeared on the grid wearing a brightly coloured rainbow shirt with the colours of the LGBTQ+ community and the words 'same love'.

These are just three examples of the many actions Vettel has taken over the past two years to speak out about important issues in society. The four-time world champion will be missed not only as a talented driver but also as an inspiration and activist in Formula 1. Hopefully, the younger drivers on the grid will take a cue from Vettel's important actions that can move the sport forward in the future.