"Motorsport is still the world where old white men throw a petrol party": Sebastian Vettel on Michael Schumacher's brother's coming out as gay

Former world champion Sebastian Vettel took a dig at the motorsport world whilst commenting on Michael Schumacher's brother and former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher coming out last year. The German driver raced for teams like Jordan and Williams F1 in his decade-long career in the late 90s and 2000s.

The former Williams remained a part of the F1 paddock even after retiring from the sport in 2007. He started working as a pundit and still works for multiple German broadcasters like Sky Sports Germany.

In July 2024, Ralf Schumacher shocked the world of motorsport by informing everyone that he was gay and had been in a relationship with his partner Etienne for the last two years. He received many positive comments from the community and fellow drivers alike.

However, speaking with the Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger, Sebastian Vettel said that the topic of homosexuality was still a 'taboo' in sports, saying:

"A taboo. As in many other sports. If we look at the statistics, many tennis and soccer players would be gay. But it's still very difficult to come out in sports and be accepted. Actually, it's good. But of course, motorsport is still a world where old white men throw a petrol party. Some things are taboo for many people."

After his two-year stint with Aston Martin, Sebastian Vettel retired from the sport at the end of the 2022 season. In the final years of his career, the former four-time F1 world champion was vocal about issues related to environmental sustainability and LGBTQ and often expressed his opinions by wearing T-shirts or speaking in the media.

Sebastian Vettel opines on being an advocate of LGBTQ

Former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel stated that he was an advocate of fairness in the world of sports and the real world whilst giving his views on the topic of LGBTQ.

As quoted by the aforementioned source, the former four-time F1 world champion said:

"In sports, people fight very hard and do everything for victory. But it should be fair. And that's what matters to me: fairness, fair treatment of all people, regardless of who they love or who they are. Sometimes we take a step backward in this development, as with the election of Donald Trump as US president.

"Such decisions usually come at the expense of people who don't fit into society's mold. Raising awareness of this and giving these people a voice is extremely important."

Despite retiring from the sport, Sebastian Vettel remains an active part of the community and regularly appears in the media, advocating for issues close to him such as sustainable fuels. The German has been vocal in his support for vehicles both on and off the track using sustainable fuels to reduce the carbon footprint in the world.