"Wokeastian Vettel": Fans give mixed reactions to Sebastian Vettel opening up about "only regret" of his career

Fans are split over Sebastian Vettel's recent comments as the 4x F1 champion has claimed that the only thing he regrets in his career is not speaking up for social issues earlier in his career. The German driver became one of the biggest advocates of multiple social issues on the F1 grid during the final stages of his career.

Sebatian Vettel retired in 2022 as a 4x F1 champion, and as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport. But fans have remembered the German driver in recent years for the multiple social causes he stood up for, including advocating for human rights and animal rights.

Most recently, Vettel told Sportsworld that the only regret he has in his career is not focussing on more social issues earlier on. This quote was posted on instagram by Motorsports.com.

"My only regret is not speaking out earlier in my career."

Overall, fans have shared mixed reactions to this admission by Vettel, with some of them blasting the 37-year-old for mixing political opinions with with the F1 world.

"Wokeastian Vettel", joked one fan.

Screen grab of fan comment under Motorsport.com's post [via instagram/@motorsportcom]

"I wish he carried on focusing on racing. We don't need personal/political agendas in our sport. It's been much better since the virtue signaling has stopped.", claimed another user.

"Became a bit too preachy in his last years. Same with Lewis too. Just gets annoying. No one watches for activism", said another fan.

While some fans did not like what Vettel said, there were also a large chunk of fans who backed the former Red Bull man, and appreciated the efforts he has made in recent years.

"For all the people crying in the comments, speaking out for human rights shouldn't be considered a "political agenda". Grow up.", said one fan.

Screen grab of fan comment under Motorsport.com's Sebastian Vettel post [via instagram/@motorsportcom]

"The same people here that are complaining about him protesting, are the same people who complain about the scrict FIA rules. Keep asking for drivers with "no political position" and we will have bots who just accept everything, as we have now with this stupid rules. Its all your fault.", said another user.

"I adore him! He’s such a good soul ❤️", wrote yet another fan.

When Sebastian Vettel promoted 'insect hotels' at Suzuka to raise awareness about biodiversity

Sebastian Vettel at the "Buzzin' corner" at Suzuka during the Japanese Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Back in 2023, Sebastian Vettel brought the whole F1 paddock together to promote insect hotels, with the aim of promoting and raising awareness about the role bees play in protecting our biodiversity. This initiative was carried out during the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.

Vettel brought all the drivers, team principals and even F1 president Stefano Domenicali to turn 2 at Suzuka, to help paint the insect hotels he had helped build and planeted them on the side of the circuit.

The curbs on the corner were also painted in black and yellow to further promote Vettel's biodiversity drive. This corner was given the name "Buzzin' corner" for the weekend as well.

The 'hotels', decorated by F1 drivers from all the teams on the grid at the time, were wooden structures, meant to provide insects such as bees and butterflies with shelter. Vettel had also worked with school-children at Silverstone back in 2021 to install these 'insect hotels' as well.

About the author

Samyak Sharma is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda, covering Formula One and IndyCar. A graduate in Mass Media and Journalism, he aims to transform his lifelong passion for playing and following sports into a thriving career in sports journalism. He believes that sports naturally deliver the most compelling stories, needing no script to captivate the world.

Samyak is dedicated to providing detailed and insightful coverage, keeping an eye on all developments on and off the track to ensure timely and accurate reporting. He closely follows Max Verstappen, inspired by the Dutchman's ability to balance precision and aggression on the track.

Samyak envisions the continued growth of motorsports globally and hopes to see Formula One return to the V8 engines while still continuing to be sustainable. As for IndyCar, he envisions greater international exposure to rival the global reach of F1.

Outside the world of motorsports, Samyak immerses himself in his love for football and cricket, passionately cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United. He also enjoys catching the occasional tennis match, broadening his appreciation for sports.

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Edited by Neelabhra Roy