Sebastian Vettel came to the Montreal Grand Prix with his thoughts on climate change on his shirt.
German Formula 1 star Gilles Villeneuve arrived at the circuit wearing a T-shirt with “Stop Mining Tar Sands” and “Canada’s Climate Crime” under the image of a gas pipeline. This weekend he wears a helmet with the same slogan.
“I think what happens in Alberta is a crime because you cut down a lot of trees and you basically destroy the place just to extract oil and the way to do that with bituminous sands, bituminous sand mining, is horrible for nature.” , said Vettel. when asked about the t-shirt at a press conference on Friday.
“There is so much science around the subject that fossil fuels will run out, and living in a time we do now, these things should no longer be allowed and should not happen.”
“It’s just to think about future generations and the world we leave in their hands. It’s fair to take care of it and not destroy it.”
Sebastian Vettel’s helmet for the 2022 Canadian GP. pic.twitter.com/cJzfnCI6Us
– @JMD_helmets
This is not the first time the Aston Martin driver has used his platform to address environmental issues. At the Miami Grand Prix last month, he wore a T-shirt that said, “Miami 2060 – 1st Underwater Grand Prix – Act now or swim after.”
His oil shirt has caused a stir on social media, and many have called Vettel a hypocrite to compete in a sport that consumes Formula 1 gas. His Aston Martin team is sponsored by the state oil giant Saudi Arabia Aramco.
Criticisms included punctures by Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage.
“I’ve seen a lot of hypocrisy over the years, but this one takes the cake,” Savage tweeted in response to Vettel.
“Instead of demonizing the oil sands, which is on its way to zero net, people could try to reduce their personal carbon footprint. Maybe a pedal car for Formula 1.”
Vettel, a father of three, told the BBC last month that his concerns about climate change had led him to question his work on Formula One.
I’ve seen a lot of hypocrisy over the years, but this one takes the cake. An Aston Martin-sponsored Aston Martin-sponsored race car driver complaining about oil sands. 1/3 https://t.co/8gaMl7JeFj
& mdash; @sonyasavage
“There are questions I ask myself every day and I’m not a saint,” Vettel said. “Some things are under my control and some are not. It’s my passion to drive a car, I love it and every time I ride the car I love it.
“When I get out of the car, of course, I’m also thinking, ‘Is this something we should be doing, traveling the world, wasting resources?’
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb, left, celebrates with German Sebastian Vettel after winning the world final of The Race of Champions on ice in Pite Havsbad, Sweden, Sunday, February 6, 2022. (Par Backstroem / TT via AP)
The four-time world champion came to the track on a bike adorned with the LGBTQ rainbow, and said he felt a sense of responsibility for “reaching people” through his platform.
“When it comes to human rights, or equal treatment, these things are great, when it comes to the climate crisis, which affects us all today and more in the future; they deserve to be addressed and (I’m) trying to reaching out to people and raising awareness ”.