The Formula 1 world went into a frenzy when Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from the sport during the summer break this year. The Aston Martin driver chose not to continue next year in the sport that gave him his name and fame. As the rumors started flowing for life post F1, Vettel lands himself into a controversy.
There were speculations if the former Red Bull ace would be willing to switch to the electric counterpart of Formula 1, Formula E. However, Vettel himself stated that he’s not interested, and that is not something he looks forward to.
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Admittedly, this didn’t go too well with Formula E star driver Lucas Di Grassi.
Di Grassi is a former F1 driver and is now in FE. The Mahindra driver has hit back at the German driver for his comments on Formula E. Di Grassi stated on his personal Twitter account, “either has no idea of what he is talking about or is trying to mislead the general public on purpose.”
Regarding Vettel’s initiative toward environmental concerns, the Formula E driver further asserted, “all that green stuff he has been doing lately – collecting trash, riding bicycles, etc – is completely greenwashing, not what he truly believes.”
What made Sebastian Vettel receive criticism?
There were rumors that the German champion might want to join Formula E once he’s done with F1. However, Vettel chose to answer them on his own. His reply is what made Lucas Di Grassi condemn Vettel.
While addressing the media, the 35-year-old driver shared in a report published by Motorsport, “I don’t want to be a mascot and I don’t want to put my face forward for something that doesn’t fully convince me. I don’t understand the meaning behind [Formula E].”
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Either has no idea of what he is talking about or is trying to mislead the general public on purpose.
And/or all that green stuff he has been doing lately – collecting trash, riding bicycles etc – is completely greenwashing, not what he truly believes.
— Lucas Di Grassi (@LucasdiGrassi) September 1, 2022
Nevertheless, the four-time world champion has been an active figure when it comes to concern about the environment and social issues. Moreover, the German driver also pointed out that the climate issue has influenced his decision to retire from the sport.
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All in all, the former Ferrari driver has been an instrumental figure in the world of motorsport as a whole in the last two decades. His stand on social issues has been commendable and as a result, he earned himself lots of appraisal throughout his extensive career.