Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel recently disclosed in an interview with Zeit that he would refuse an offer for a seat in the all-electric motorsport series, Formula E.
The German driver was asked whether he would continue working within the world of motorsport, in particular, as an ambassador for Formula E. It was a firm no, with Vettel criticising the series for not preserving our environment; something which the racing series aims to do.
“I don’t want to put my face forward for a concept that I’m not convinced of. I don’t understand the meaning behind this series. The battery technology that is being developed has nothing to do with the technology that a normal car could use.”
Sebastian Vettel to Zeit
Formula E has boasted that its innovation and technology are what make the racing series most relevant to road cars, with manufacturers using what they have learnt to develop best-selling EV’s.
The comments from Vettel sparked outrage with current Formula E driver Lucas Di Grassi, as he took to Twitter to express his feelings and respond to Seb.
“If Vettel doesn’t want to come to Formula E, it is his choice. Although it is the second highest paid series single seater in the world, still far away from a top F1 salary..”
Lucas Di Grassi on Twitter
Lucas Di Grassi suggesting that money could be another reason why Seb wouldn’t want to join the upcoming series.
“To say that the technology of the cars are less relevant to the future of automobiles, he either has no idea of what he is talking about or is trying to mislead the general public of purpose.”
Di Grassi continued…
In recent years, the Aston Martin driver has been increasingly outspoken on environmental issues, including expressing his uncertainty in competing in F1, a sport with a huge carbon footprint.
The Brazilian finishes off with one last jab
“Whether he likes or not the series, he should be supportive of it. That’s all.”
Lucas Di Grassi
Formula E has received its fair share of criticism in the past 8 seasons especially, like Vettel, towards its authenticity for environmental excellence. However, the latest Gen3 technology is set to place the benchmark for sustainability in high performance racing cars.