Sebastian Vettel: 'I am sportsman, I am not celebrity'

Sebastian Vettel might be locked in a nail-biting battle between rival, Lewis Hamilton, for the Formula One World Championship, but the Ferrari driver does not wish to be solely identified by his profession. Both the drivers have won four driver’s titles each, but they seem to display starkly different personalities.

Time and again, the German has proved himself to be an extremely private person, a trait which explains his lack of social media accounts. While his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, joined Instagram in 2017, Vettel has continued to steer clear of social networking sites. Hamilton, on the other hand, is a constant presence on such sites and allows the public a sneak peek into his personal life.

Sebastian, in an interview with The Guardian, emphasized that his high profile job does not meddle with his day-to-day tasks. He explained, “I am happy to do things that people think are boring but for me they are not, being at home, mowing the lawn. I cook, not so good, but from time to time. I do the school run, I go shopping, I take the metro and the bus.”

The Ferrari driver is under pressure to perform to the limit each weekend if he wants to take the coveted championship trophy home. However, that does not deter the German from separating himself from his work. Vettel clarified, “I don’t feel special because of what I do for a job. It is part of me, my identity but it would be the wrong answer if I asked myself: ‘Who are you?’ and I said: ‘I am an F1 driver.’ I am a lot of other things as well. It doesn’t define me as a person.”

While certain athletes make fashion statements through clothing or haircuts, Sebastian has an opposing outlook. He asserted, “I am sportsman, I am not celebrity. So when I go somewhere and somebody recognises me I think they are interested in sport and not in how I do my hair, or which shoes I am wearing or that bollocks.”

Vettel: I am sportsman, I am not celebrity. So when I go somewhere and somebody recognises me I think they are interested in sport and not in how I do my hair, or which shoes I am wearing or that bollocks.

— Sebastian Vettel #5 (@sebvettelnews) July 6, 2018

The personality outside the car shapes the mind inside it, but for now, the German would be looking to focus on the upcoming weekend. The British Grand Prix is around the corner, and with only a single point separating the championship contenders, it is anybody’s guess who will end up emerging victorious. The race is at a half-way point in the calendar and it would be gripping to see who triumphs at Lewis’ home ground.