Activist Vettel: He is against pollution, but his team is supported by the biggest oil company. You’re a hypocrite, the minister tells him

Formula 1 has completed its ninth race of the season, namely the Canadian Grand Prix. And as is customary with Sebastian Vettel, he is using the queen of motorsport to promote various social and environmental causes. In Canada, he’s been fighting climate change, but this has touched a Canadian minister.

We couldn’t help but notice a truly gigantic contrast on Vettel’s helmet in Canada. The four-time world champion had an inscription made on it that read “Stop Tar Sands Mining” and “Canadian Climate Crime.”

The 34-year-old former Red Bull and Ferrari driver has long been known to change the design of his helmets frequently. And that’s mainly to draw attention to various global issues.

But in Canada, he had a big sign next to a sign fighting to improve the climate, which is sponsored by Aramco, the Aston Martin team whose colours Vettel will defend from 2021.

And why is this combination so contrasting? Because it is a Saudi company, one of the world’s largest and best-known oil producers.

Aramco is also a company that contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and through which billions of dollars flow into Saudi Arabia. We probably do not need to mention that this country, in turn, has considerable problems with regard to human rights and the abuse of high office.

This is exactly what Sonya Savage, Minister of Energy for the Canadian province of Alberta, has also highlighted. And she didn’t mince words, calling the German athlete a hypocrite.

“I’ve seen a lot of hypocrisy over the years, but this is the height of it. A race car driver sponsored by Aston Martin, with funding from Saudi Aramco, complaining about the oil sands. Saudi Aramco has the largest daily oil production of any company in the world. It is considered the largest contributor to global carbon emissions of any company since 1965.”

The team itself would not comment much on this criticism, with team boss Mike Krack basically just saying that Vettel is a free man and if he plans any such campaign, he and the team will agree on how he intends to carry it out.

However, Vettel himself has responded to the minister’s words. “Yes, I am a hypocrite. I do what I do for a living because I love it. This is how I paint on my canvas,” said Vettel, quoted by Motorsport.

“I’m a little disappointed that politicians are going into the personal because it’s not about me at all, it’s about the bigger picture. What’s really important is the message that we need to make the transition and get rid of fossil fuels and start basing our whole lifestyle on renewables,” he added.

F1, Motorsport