"And yes: I am the greatest hypocrite whom there is"
In a personal interview, the German explains what he, as a former Formula 1 world champion, is doing for the environment and what he thinks about Ralf Schumacher's coming out.
It is Tuesday afternoon. Excited pupils are streaming out of a school in the Zurich lowlands. They have just had a visit from four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel. The German, who has lived in Switzerland since 2007 and in the canton of Thurgau since 2009, attracted attention in the last few years of his career by suddenly talking about environmental issues, such as the importance of biodiversity, or collecting rubbish from the stands after race weekends.
This Tuesday, the 37-year-old, together with Andreas Fehr, debated the topic of circular economy with four classes. Fehr is the owner of a fashion label and the topic was sustainability in the clothing industry. Vettel spoke about the possibilities of more environmentally friendly mobility. The former racing driver then took time for a personal conversation.
Sebastian Vettel, does your guilty conscience drive you?
That may have been the case at the beginning of my involvement, when I thought: Oh, I've been racing and flying around the world for so many years, that wasn't good! Nowadays, it's much more optimism that drives me.
What do you mean?
When we talk about the climate crisis, many things are very, very bad, the outlook is devastating, there is a doomsday mood. Children see their future as correspondingly bleak. It is important to me that we talk about solutions. There are lots of people who are thinking really well. Like in the textile industry, where there are so many approaches to more sustainability. Today's children are much more astute and have a greater awareness of these issues. I had no idea about it when I was young. Of course I knew that you can't just throw things away, but I didn't know anything about the meaning behind it.
How environmentally conscious are you?
I am in a position of luxury. I have the time to deal with these issues and also the opportunity to afford alternatives. Fast fashion is advertised, it is tempting to buy two or three T-shirts at once. Our aim is to show that these do not last long and that someone pays the price for them - the planet, the environment, the people involved in the production chain. It all starts with awareness. If you are aware of things, you can change something. I want to raise this awareness among children.
You were a racing driver, jetting around the world. Can you erase this huge ecological footprint?
I could do that by buying the relevant certificates. I did that before I retired in 2022. But that raises questions: Does that really balance the books? There are many great projects that may not have been implemented so well. Planting trees is a great way to do that. But: Are the right trees being planted? In the right location? Is care being taken to grow them? Will the tree still be standing in five years? Getting a certificate like this eases your conscience, but it's often worth taking a closer look. Even ticking the box for flying isn't enough. It's therefore very difficult to completely eliminate my footprint.
Where is it particularly large?
Aviation makes up the largest part. It's like other global sports. The fact that I drove a car in circles and burned petrol is no longer so important.
And today you are committed to environmental issues: are you a hypocrite?
I have to put up with this accusation. And yes: I am the biggest hypocrite there is when I talk about environmental issues and at the same time have left such a large footprint. I flew around the world for years - and not economy, but business or first class. But should I feel bad about it? We will not solve the problem with shame, but rather by confronting it and looking for solutions. We are all hypocrites because we also enjoy things that we know are not so good. Do we have to fly to Thailand on holiday? No. But it is also incredibly beautiful there. We should not ban travel, but offer technological options that allow us to do the same as before - only more sustainably.
You often travel in a camper with your family.
Yes, we set up camp at the campsite and are a completely normal camping family. When I am recognised, some people are surprised, but after the first beer together, that stops.
How much did your childhood influence you in this regard?
Very, we were out and about in the motorhome weekend after weekend, it was amazing. Camping is also about memories and experiences that I want to give my children.
You have two daughters, aged 9 and 11, and a five-year-old son: do you feel like you missed out on parts of their childhood because of your career?
After I retired, I realized that I was traveling a lot more than I thought. When I was still fully involved, I thought: I'll be home soon, just a few days and then I'll be back. When I retired, I realized that I had slept more away from home than at home. I enjoy having a completely different daily routine now.
Do you thrive in the role of father?
It's nice that I have time. I can also look back on a very rich childhood of my own, in which I was able to spend a lot of time with my parents and siblings. This time together is the most beautiful thing my parents gave me - and I live it now. Even if I don't travel from kart track to kart track with my children, like we did back then.
Why not?
It hasn't turned out that way yet.
Does racing have a future at all and still have a right to exist?
That's a very good question. While interest in Formula 1 is growing steadily in America, countries like Germany are questioning whether it is still in keeping with the times. If Formula 1 does not move quickly enough and find answers to important questions, it runs the risk of social pressure becoming so great that a ban is discussed.
What questions does Formula 1 have to ask itself?
How are the cars fueled? How does the whole circus get from A to B? Hundreds of thousands of people travel to the races: how do they get there, how do they travel home, what do they consume on site, what kind of food and drink is even offered? There are so many issues at stake. I would certainly think it a great shame if Formula 1 were to disappear.
Why?
There are many people who appreciate the sport on the one hand, but also the culture behind it on the other. It is a piece of history and cultural heritage, especially in Germany, where the automobile industry is very large and has a long history. You can't just erase that. So Formula 1 basically has a right to exist. But it needs to move forward in terms of vehicles and technology.
Formula 1 cars already have highly efficient hybrid engines, and from 2026 they will also run on synthetic fuel.
Yes, thanks to this fuel, CO₂-neutral driving is possible. But synthetic fuel is not a panacea. The big drawback is the high electricity consumption during production, regardless of whether gasoline, diesel or kerosene is produced. The process is inefficient - while the electricity is actually needed everywhere else, for example for heating buildings. Synthetic fuels are a bridging technology for forms of mobility for which we do not yet have other solutions, such as shipping or air travel. There are still no electric or hydrogen-powered container ships or aircraft.
And what about private transport?
The electric car is significantly more efficient and has a higher efficiency than a combustion engine. However, it is not fair to demand that people buy electric cars, as they are still more expensive than combustion engines. They need to become cheaper - and the range needs to be increased and the network needs to be better developed.
The reality is this: There are 1.3 billion cars with combustion engines on the road in the world.
And for them, synthetic fuel makes sense as a transition. But if we think ahead, 30, 40 years into the future, it is important that the rich countries set the pace, set a good example and make the transition to electromobility.
What does your personal fleet look like?
It's not entirely electric yet because I want to hold on to my VW bus, which runs on diesel. I also have an electric Porsche - OK, a Porsche - but also an electric Nissan.
You live in the country in Europe that has the best public transport system. How often do you travel by train?
I travel very often by public transport. Zurich is the perfect example of why it makes no sense to travel by car in a city. And that is a key factor: if the service is available and public transport beats the car in terms of attractiveness, people are more likely to switch. Switzerland is a model country in general; you can get to the most remote villages by post bus, the connections are great and the timetable is very well timed. Public transport must be a real alternative everywhere, then people will start to think differently.
Was it the same for you?
My childhood was shaped by motorsports and I counted the days until I could get my driver's license. It was important to my grandfather that his car had a star on it, our generation also drove other brands, and today's children often have completely different priorities anyway. This is how walls collapse and new things emerge. The future can also be better than the present. If there is less traffic in cities, more electric cars, more public transport, that is better for everyone.
When you sit on trains and buses, aren't you constantly recognized and harassed?
Of course I get recognized sometimes, but what I appreciate about the Swiss is that they are very discreet. That's completely different in Germany or other countries.
Is that one of the reasons why you moved to Switzerland in 2007?
That's the main reason why I want to stay here. I feel very comfortable. The initial spark was that I was working as a test driver for Sauber - even though I quickly moved to Toro Rosso. I liked it here. And of course there were tax advantages too. But I would have those in the place where many of my former colleagues live.
You're talking about Monaco. Why don't you live on the Côte d'Azur?
Switzerland is incredibly beautiful, a paradise. Monaco is certainly beautiful and a bit warmer, but living in such a concrete desert would not be for me. I need space, mountains and nature.
Michael Schumacher has also been living in Switzerland for years. They have always looked up to him.
He is my childhood hero and, in my opinion, the greatest Formula 1 driver in history, even if statistically that is Lewis (Hamilton).
Since his skiing accident in 2013, Schumacher has been cared for at home in Gland, Vaud. You are still in contact with the family through his son Mick, how important is that to you?
I get on well with Mick and we keep in touch, even though I'm no longer racing and he's no longer in a Formula 1 car. That's important to me.
Recently, Michael's brother Ralf Schumacher made headlines because he came out as gay. That's unheard of in motorsport…
… a taboo. As in many other sports. If we look at the statistics, many tennis and football players must be gay. But it is still very difficult to come out in sport and be accepted.
Why is that?
Let's take football: If a player comes out and then has to bend down to pick up the ball before a throw-in, for example, there are bound to be many in the stands who will burst into laughter. That's why role models who have the courage to come out are so important. I don't know if I could talk openly about it myself. That's why we should appreciate it when someone does.
How was Schumacher’s coming out received in the motorsport scene?
Actually, it's good. But of course, motorsport is still the world where old white men have a petrol party. Some things are taboo for many people. Lewis has already torn down a lot of walls as the first black Formula 1 driver. He brought up the subject of racism and other things that were suddenly being talked about. I came into Formula 1 at the same time as him, and I can remember that there were a lot of bad comments about him.
For example?
Because of the color of his skin, he had no place here. He has now shown, not only through his performance, that they were completely wrong. People like him are needed. We used to be told that we shouldn't talk about certain topics, like money, love, sex, religion. Today we are much further along, and that is good.
You are committed to issues affecting the LGBTQ community. Why?
In sport, people fight very hard and do everything to win. But it should be fair. And that's what I'm concerned about: fairness, fair treatment of all people, no matter who they love or who they are. Sometimes we take a step back in this development, such as with the election of Donald Trump as US President. Such decisions usually come at the expense of people who do not fit into society's image. Raising awareness of this and giving these people a voice is extremely important.
You spoke earlier about your former homeland Germany: Can you still show your face there?
For what reason?
Because you support a speed limit on motorways.
(smiles) In this discussion, freedom is often confused with habit. I live in Switzerland, where there is a speed limit. Does that mean we are less free here? Or do Germans feel that their freedom is being taken away from them when they cross the border into Switzerland or France? But I am aware that driving without a speed limit is sacred for many Germans.
You've been able to let off steam on the racetrack your whole life. What do you miss now that you can't do that anymore?
I miss a lot of things, especially the competition. Or getting a result straight after a performance and knowing where you stand. The sport, the kick. But I have also gained a lot and have more time for other topics and interests. I see it more as a trade-off than a loss.
