(Motorsport-Total.com) – The issues of the environment and sustainability have played a major role for Sebastian Vettel for some time. The four-time world champion wants to go ahead and encourage people to pay attention to their ecological footprint. But long before the Heppenheimer, another former Formula 1 driver dedicated his life to sustainability. We’re talking about the Brazilian Pedro Diniz.
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Sebastian Vettel got ideas from an ex-Formula 1 driver
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The now 51-year-old competed in the premier class from 1995 to 2000, but had no countable successes. He is best remembered for a spectacular incident at the 1996 Argentina Grand Prix when his car suddenly burst into flames while driving. Diniz was just barely able to free himself.
After the end of his career, Diniz returned permanently to his Brazilian homeland and built an organic farm there. And this is exactly what Vettel paid a visit to before the race weekend in Sao Paulo.
Vettel on Diniz farm: the world needs that!
What the 34-year-old saw there impressed him very much. “It’s a very interesting way of doing agriculture,” says Vettel. He used the visit to learn more about sustainable agriculture.
“It’s pretty good and forward-looking. The world needs something like that. It’s very honorable to feed the world or people and do it in a responsible and regenerative way. It’s a great approach,” praises Vettel.
He first became aware of Diniz’s work through a book that dealt with exactly such topics. “I knew that Pedro was a racing driver when I was a child and that he also drove in Formula 1,” Vettel could still vaguely remember Diniz’s time as an active person. After his resignation, Vettel had not heard from him for a long time.
Vettel does not see himself as an activist
“A year ago I read this really interesting book, and it was about Pedro Diniz. But not about his history as a racing driver, but about what he does today, his agriculture,” explains Vettel: “I don’t want to be too detailed But the main thing is to avoid chemicals and substances and to use them in a natural way. And also to give something back instead of just exploiting the soil. “
F1: Sao Paulo Grand Prix (Brazil) 2021
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Although Vettel made it clear through various projects and campaigns this year that the topic is really close to his heart, he does not want to appear as an activist after his career has ended. “I don’t consider myself an overly active person in this area,” says Vettel. Instead, it is a matter of “that every individual takes action, otherwise the future does not look good,” he emphasizes.
It is completely normal that not everyone has the same interest in it. “But it is the greatest challenge in human history. And nobody can run away from it,” explains Vettel.
If he keeps coming back to the topic, it is not about putting himself in the foreground. “I’m not doing this to promote myself. It’s just great when you have a voice that you can use to emphasize certain things that are important to you. But actions should always come first,” says he.
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