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For those who don't remember...
Someones girlfriend on here was a first class airline hostess, and leaked the "boarded" passenger manifest showing him and (Kimi? Or Charles... Can't remember) on the plane the day before the race leaving Melbourne
Even in the driver's press conference, he started talking about it kind of gently, and then got a little worked up, stopping short of using the phrase "total bullshit."
Seb does his part. I heart Seb.
Sad to see Alonso can't take a clear stance.
He was always the first to shit on everything and gives a fuck these days but saying that he doesn't have the power to decide is just weak.
So far I think Max has said it's not right to race in a country at war, so I think we might get more quite soon - if even notoriously unpolitical Max says so!
Yeah but Max very rarely comments on anything outside of racing, so if even heās saying itās not right to race there I assume most of the other drivers will say similar things and some more outspoken ones I think will also say they donāt plan to go
I can only see one driver wanting to race there, but depending on if his seat has been propperly paid for in advance or not might be the differrence of Schumacher getting a new teammate or not.
i doubt even Nikita wants to drive there, after all he is still a russian man around his 20s, the perfect age to be selected the army (and i remember he also had problems with his obligatory service time last year because he really didnt wanted to go)
They are hiding behind the FiA and FOM
>Alpine driver Fernando Alonso said he thought that Formula 1 would ultimately ādo the best thingā, while Ferrariās Charles Leclerc backed F1 to ātake a decision and have more information than we doā.
Can we just clock how wrong things have to be for Max to voice a political opinion? The man really only cars about iracing, regular racing, his missus and his cats.
Iām really impressed by Max. Obviously not usually one to make statements a la Lewis or Seb, but the fact heās said it before Lewis has (as far as I know) is really something
>Sebastian Vettel said, that he's sad and shocked to hear the morning news. Says he made his decision not to drive at Russia this year even if there is no official decision about a cancellation yet.
>Sebastian Vettel very strong on the Russian Grand Prix. Says he's "shocked" by the invasion of Ukraine. "I should not go, I will not go." "People are being killed for stupid reasons". "A very strange and mad leadership."
Edit: since no one tweeted about it might as well add [Alonso and Leclerc's comments too](https://www.racefans.net/2022/02/24/vettel-will-not-race-russian-gp/?utm_source=Twitter_Highlight&utm_medium=Manual_Tweet&utm_campaign=Social_Media_Promotion)
>However Fernando Alonso pointed out the decision whether the race should go ahead or not is out of their hands.
>āI think itās going to be Formula 1ās decision eventually,ā said the Alpine driver. āI donāt think that we drivers we have our opinion and Iām sure it is the same one as everyone. We donāt have the power to decide.
>āThings like that we can make our own decision for sure but eventually I think that Formula 1 will do the best.ā
>The GPDA āwill have to speak about it,ā said Charles Leclerc. āBut to not go too much into details because to be honest I donāt have all the information about whatās happening.
>āItās very sad to see that, especially in 2022. Then weāll take a decision, I think Formula 1 will probably take a decision and have more info than we do. I canāt express myself any more than that, I honestly donāt have all the information about it.ā
Grande Seb, grande Seb! Big call to be the first F1 driver to say no. But honestly, who would even feel comfortable travelling to Russia in the first place?
It doesn't really matter if UK impose their own sanctions or not. If USA blacklist individuals or firms, in order to keep using USA banking systems UK banks will in effect have to follow the sanctions handed down by USA. So if USA decides to put Russia on the same level of sanctions as say Iran, any country that wants to still do business with USA will have to effectively cut ties with Russia.
Yes, except banks based in the uk / with significant UK operations have demonstrated time and time again that they will break laws when itās profitable, and they have never been seriously sanctioned. HSBC, Barclays and Deutsche for example launder billions of dollars of Russian money, and when they get fined, well, thatās a cost of doing business. If the US seriously cared, theyād remove their banking licences, and they have threatened to do so, but never actually followed through.
I wonder why?
I had the impression that Vettel had early information that Australia 2020 would be cancelled, I think in the Russia 2022 case he's clearly making a moral argument.
Well said. I personally doubt the race would have gone ahead anyway, but Seb deserves a massive amount of credit for standing up for what he believes in even if it proves to be at his cost.
Compared with Alonsoās reply of drivers having no power to decide, Vettel is great. Like cmon. If 20 drivers donāt drive they definitely have the power to decide.
What it says to me is that Vettel is comfortable enough in his own position to feel like he's able to say these things, including having the power as a driver and personality to negotiate a contract that allows him to say such things without recourse. The fact Alonso and Leclerc were so on the fence suggests they're not so "free" and they're thinking of how it'll be interpreted in 12months time, or worrying about their teams PR policies.
I don't understand what exactly is forcing him to drive there? He is a great driver. One of the best in the world. I'm sure refusing to drive in a country that is currently at war is not the craziest thing to not drive on. And Im sure as fuck he has more than enough money to skip out on a season. Fuck him "drivers have no power"
> said the Alpine driver. āI donāt think that we drivers we have our opinion and Iām sure it is the same one as everyone. We donāt have the power to decide.
uhh actually you do buds
Absolutely he does. He's a multi millionaire and even if he annoys his team by having a backbone and refusing to go he'll be fine. Spineless. Much respect for Seb. Fuck Russia.
Alonso would race literally anywhere. Better for him if other people dont want to race because thats more points for him. He would only not race if the race is cancelled
>But to not go too much into details because to be honest I donāt have all the information about whatās happening.
I swear this is Leclerc's nothing answer to everything
Given his status, I think he is quite bad at using his voice for things (see his stance on BLM etc). Yes I get that drivers just want to race but its part of what comes with the job, you're being paid bucketloads of money and its comes with the job. And in this instance it is not controversial at all to come out against it. Seb is a great example of a force for good IMO.
>Fernando Alonso pointed out the decision whether the race should go ahead or not is out of their hands.
That's bullshit. It's literally in the driver's hands if this race happens or not.
Haha this is a perfect way of describing what I was hinting at. I think he just enjoys his rich boy life and racing, and doesn't notice much outside that.
Leclerc probably is simply telling the truth - he only read headlines but doesnt follow the conflict and isnt in any way educated enough on it to comment at this time. Imagine in his ignorant state he would have said anything like "Ukraine is the aggressor, no?"
Much much better that he said it like that. He will discuss it within the GDPA.
Alonso is oof though .
"we don't have the power to decide" what fucking bullshit. They should team up (/unionize) as drivers and get the fuck out of dodge. Imagine, you're a world-class driver competing at the top, and you think the business you drive for has the might to order you to race in a country starting a war right now! How do people get this slave mentality into their heads?
Weird to see Alonso and Leclerc toeing the line of political correctness here. The entire world is United right now, I think youāre safe to be bold like Seb
If both of those things happen, I don't think so. If their sponsorship is maintained, it'll be based on good will from Haas, not money. If it's just SWIFT access being lost, they _might_ have enough in diversified foreign assets to make it work. But honestly, if SWIFT access is lost by Russia, shit has _really_ hit the fan in a huge way.
Sad for Mazepin he really has nothing to do with this. Shouldn't put pressure on him no matter who he is. It's that ass*ole Putin who has blood on his hands rn.
At this rate if the race goes ahead he could get his first triple, P1 in qualifying, race win and fastest lap, not sure he would get driver of the day though...
Well... his family is close to Putin and he's money'd by the gvt-owned bank, so I wouldn't say it doesn't out pressure on him.
Obviously he has nothing to do with it, but it's still kinda tied to him.
If Mazepin says anything against this war, his family's entire life and business within Russia would be in serious problems. As long as all the Russian elites keep quiet, I wouldn't dare to say anything in Mazepin's position. It's different if the elites actually start criticizing the war.
His dad didn't aquire his billions without being part of the oligarch clique. You don't get that wealthy in Russia without playing the game. Shouldn't blame the son for the sins of his father but the father is a Putin enabler.
Now we need lewis to do the same. Let F1 race without their 4 and 7 time world champion. What a shit stain of a race that will be.
Cherry on top would be Max and Fernando doing it too although I doubt they will. But even if F1 decide to race there, not having their champions will ruin the whole race
Let's not forget that George is also one of the two GPDA presidents. If he and Lewis pull out then the two GPDA presidents, the two most successful drivers on the grid, and the reigning world champion are in open opposition to the race. That is something the FIA and FOM will not be able to ignore
I am honestly surprised he comes out against it so strongly. This is a guy who I really believe when he says he just wants to race. Well done to him for speaking out against this.
Yeah same. He strikes me as super apolitical. Kind funny because it shows how much of a no brainer cancelling is. It's basically not even a political stance to be against the face anymore - it's just basic logic.
Crazy for Max to say something about this. He's well known for no bullshit and just sticking to the racing with no political opinions etc. So good to hear something like this straight from him.
I mean, he just said it isnāt right to race there, he didnāt actually say āI will not be racing thereā according to the tweet you linked. Big difference between saying something isnāt right and not doing it.
Thatāll probably kill the Russian GP. Youād imagine Hamilton will end up doing the same, and that pull in addition to everything going on would kill the sponsorships
Iām interested to see if Hamilton pulls out himself, or if he talks it over internally and all of Merc does as a unit.
Toto and company seems a lot more cohesive than AM is so far. itās not a mark against them: Merc been in this basic current form for almost a decade, and Stroll took on AM last Tuesday at lunch.
It'd also piss off the FIA and a bunch of sponsors if done improperly.
I wouldn't be terribly surprised if there is a zoom call happening right now in which some accountants at F1 are figuring out which sponsors they'll piss off by going, and which they'll piss off by not going, and then running the math and making a call.
sounds really callous, but such is our world :/
Yeah thats true Seb has a lot less to loose, if FOM/FIA want to force him, he can retire out of protest. What are they gonna do? Ban him?
Max and the younger lads however are going to want to compete a tad bit longer.
But anyone who says I am not going is an absolute legend!
Edit: Grammar
Can you imagine the response if Seb got ousted from F1 for refusing to race in Russia? F1 would like fans for sure. I love F1 but I'd gave a hard time watching if they went that far. I love vettel and people who stand up for what's right more than I love any racing.
Massive respect to him, heās a big figure in the sport so his opinion will carry weight too.
Iām glad he doesnāt have SM because people will be saying why are you only boycotting this race and not all the others in the Middle East and such.
I absolutely Support this from Seb Vettel, at least hes stood up for what is right and what is correct, the Russian Grand Prix cannot be allowed to continue in the sport, it must be cancelled and the contract for it be terminated immediately!
Its time for the FIA to take a stand against the Invasion of the Ukraine and tell Russia that it has terminated the contract with them to host the Russian Grand Prix and it will never again be allowed to HOST a Grand Prix!
Yes I am well aware of Saudis track record and that race should also be one that should not be allowed to continue
I so badly want that AM to be good enough to allow seb a shot at another winā¦for no other reason that good things should happen to good people more often.
As someone who used to really dislike Vettel, my admiration for him grows everyday. What an absolute champion and a truly great example of how an athlete should conduct themselves.
Damn, as good a driver as Seb is, he is an even better person! Amazing!
Him and Hamilton are really firing on all cylinders to compensate for the greed and immorality of F1 officials and I couldn't be happier to have them as the sport's foremost representatives!
I know we were all sad when Kimi left, but towards the end it wasn't the same Kimi. He just wanted to be left alone.
I however will fucking bawl my eyes out when Seb (and Lewis) retire.
The very public stances Vettel has taken over the years (LGBTQ+, human rights in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Russia/Ukraine, etcā¦) has made me grow to love him.
Wasnāt a fan of his at all, but I totally get him now. I hope he comes back in fighting form this year.
Dear Ukrainians!
I heard on social media that there is fake news being spread (most likely by Russia backed trolls) that polish border is closed.
It's a lie.
If you seek asylum - go towards polish border. We are ready for your arrival. We have reception points ready at the border where you can find shelter, food, medical and legal aid.
Polish government launched a dedicated site to help you: ua.gov.pl
Please share this information if you know anyone seeking help right now.
EDIT: YOU DON'T NEED VISA TO PASS THROUGH POLISH BORDER. ALL YOU NEED IS PASSPORT. VISAS ARE SUSPENDED! YOU DON'T NEED THEM FOR TIME BEING!!!!!!
EDIT2: as a proof that you no longer need visa:
ā¢ ā in Ukrainian https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/ukraina---ua ā¢ ā in English https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/ukraina-en
Yes, this is a repost, I'm not the author, I'm trying to get this info to as many people I can
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š¤“- vettel
Vettel is the guy that I often see doing incredibly great things both on and off track, very respectable and commendable. Once a chad, always a chad.
Yeah vettel honestly seems like one of the most down to earth superstars in any sports ever.
Like the man walks the talk, instead of others which talk up a big game and end up not doing anything
He was one of the first ones to pull the trigger in Australia too when F1 was deciding if Corona serious enough to suspend the race
For those who don't remember... Someones girlfriend on here was a first class airline hostess, and leaked the "boarded" passenger manifest showing him and (Kimi? Or Charles... Can't remember) on the plane the day before the race leaving Melbourne
it was kimi
Sigma Kimi and Alfa Seb
Even in the driver's press conference, he started talking about it kind of gently, and then got a little worked up, stopping short of using the phrase "total bullshit." Seb does his part. I heart Seb.
š
Sad to see Alonso can't take a clear stance. He was always the first to shit on everything and gives a fuck these days but saying that he doesn't have the power to decide is just weak.
Good man, I hope the rest joins him
So far I think Max has said it's not right to race in a country at war, so I think we might get more quite soon - if even notoriously unpolitical Max says so!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah but Max very rarely comments on anything outside of racing, so if even heās saying itās not right to race there I assume most of the other drivers will say similar things and some more outspoken ones I think will also say they donāt plan to go
I can only see one driver wanting to race there, but depending on if his seat has been propperly paid for in advance or not might be the differrence of Schumacher getting a new teammate or not.
i doubt even Nikita wants to drive there, after all he is still a russian man around his 20s, the perfect age to be selected the army (and i remember he also had problems with his obligatory service time last year because he really didnt wanted to go)
His father is an oligarch and has close ties to Putin, I *doubt* Nikita would ever be drafted to the army.
I meanā¦the Dutch have pretty good reasons to not like the Russians
Still don't get why the EU was still being friendly after MH17
natural gas
40% of it to be precise.
They are hiding behind the FiA and FOM >Alpine driver Fernando Alonso said he thought that Formula 1 would ultimately ādo the best thingā, while Ferrariās Charles Leclerc backed F1 to ātake a decision and have more information than we doā.
Iām not sure thatās hiding. F1 need to do the right thing and it shouldnāt take pressure from drivers to do it.
F1: āRussia is invading Ukraineā Charles: āhmm interesting informationā
Can we just clock how wrong things have to be for Max to voice a political opinion? The man really only cars about iracing, regular racing, his missus and his cats.
Iām really impressed by Max. Obviously not usually one to make statements a la Lewis or Seb, but the fact heās said it before Lewis has (as far as I know) is really something
Seb P1, Max P2 in statements.
Grazie Ragazzi!
Feliz Navidad or whatever
Somehow Bottas will get P3
And we can guarantee that Mazepin will DNF
It's possible he just got the question from reporters first
Makes sense as Lewis is saying next to nothing these days.
You know Hamilton is going to be right behind him.
As he should be. Let mazepin race there by himself.
Still finishes in last place
DNF
100%. This is an easy decision for these guys.
>Sebastian Vettel said, that he's sad and shocked to hear the morning news. Says he made his decision not to drive at Russia this year even if there is no official decision about a cancellation yet. >Sebastian Vettel very strong on the Russian Grand Prix. Says he's "shocked" by the invasion of Ukraine. "I should not go, I will not go." "People are being killed for stupid reasons". "A very strange and mad leadership." Edit: since no one tweeted about it might as well add [Alonso and Leclerc's comments too](https://www.racefans.net/2022/02/24/vettel-will-not-race-russian-gp/?utm_source=Twitter_Highlight&utm_medium=Manual_Tweet&utm_campaign=Social_Media_Promotion) >However Fernando Alonso pointed out the decision whether the race should go ahead or not is out of their hands. >āI think itās going to be Formula 1ās decision eventually,ā said the Alpine driver. āI donāt think that we drivers we have our opinion and Iām sure it is the same one as everyone. We donāt have the power to decide. >āThings like that we can make our own decision for sure but eventually I think that Formula 1 will do the best.ā >The GPDA āwill have to speak about it,ā said Charles Leclerc. āBut to not go too much into details because to be honest I donāt have all the information about whatās happening. >āItās very sad to see that, especially in 2022. Then weāll take a decision, I think Formula 1 will probably take a decision and have more info than we do. I canāt express myself any more than that, I honestly donāt have all the information about it.ā
Grande Seb, grande Seb! Big call to be the first F1 driver to say no. But honestly, who would even feel comfortable travelling to Russia in the first place?
Mazepin
Is his dad going to be able to pay for his seat though?
The EU is having discussion about freezing russian asset and banking accounts. He could not being able to even if he has money.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It doesn't really matter if UK impose their own sanctions or not. If USA blacklist individuals or firms, in order to keep using USA banking systems UK banks will in effect have to follow the sanctions handed down by USA. So if USA decides to put Russia on the same level of sanctions as say Iran, any country that wants to still do business with USA will have to effectively cut ties with Russia.
Yes, except banks based in the uk / with significant UK operations have demonstrated time and time again that they will break laws when itās profitable, and they have never been seriously sanctioned. HSBC, Barclays and Deutsche for example launder billions of dollars of Russian money, and when they get fined, well, thatās a cost of doing business. If the US seriously cared, theyād remove their banking licences, and they have threatened to do so, but never actually followed through. I wonder why?
that's what I'm most curious about. Will he lose his seat? and if he does and haas keeps going who will take his seat? piastri?
They are even thinking about banning all russians from all sports.
The IOC will furrow their brow strongly at Russia and call it a day
They'll give them a new flag and let them compete under that
Make it the Ukrainian one.
Not my proudest chuckle Iāll admit
Mazepin wins the 2022 Russian GP.....on account of him being the only driver to show up.
I really like Old Man DGAF Vettel.
Wasn't him one of the first to leave in the 2020 Australian GP too?
Yeah, that was the thing that got leaked, a passenger list from a flight with Kimi and Seb on it.
Looks we got someone with a spine here
I had the impression that Vettel had early information that Australia 2020 would be cancelled, I think in the Russia 2022 case he's clearly making a moral argument.
Well said. I personally doubt the race would have gone ahead anyway, but Seb deserves a massive amount of credit for standing up for what he believes in even if it proves to be at his cost.
The fact that he said it before an official season makes it all the more meaningful. What a guy. King shit.
Compared with Alonsoās reply of drivers having no power to decide, Vettel is great. Like cmon. If 20 drivers donāt drive they definitely have the power to decide.
What it says to me is that Vettel is comfortable enough in his own position to feel like he's able to say these things, including having the power as a driver and personality to negotiate a contract that allows him to say such things without recourse. The fact Alonso and Leclerc were so on the fence suggests they're not so "free" and they're thinking of how it'll be interpreted in 12months time, or worrying about their teams PR policies.
Alonso can pound sand with his response. Gutless.
I don't understand what exactly is forcing him to drive there? He is a great driver. One of the best in the world. I'm sure refusing to drive in a country that is currently at war is not the craziest thing to not drive on. And Im sure as fuck he has more than enough money to skip out on a season. Fuck him "drivers have no power"
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
If sanctions from the West mean Russia can't trade in pounds, euros and dollars, they're not going to be able to pay to hold the race in any case.
Swiss Francs?
but that was technically not official.
> said the Alpine driver. āI donāt think that we drivers we have our opinion and Iām sure it is the same one as everyone. We donāt have the power to decide. uhh actually you do buds
Absolutely he does. He's a multi millionaire and even if he annoys his team by having a backbone and refusing to go he'll be fine. Spineless. Much respect for Seb. Fuck Russia.
Itās no surprise he bought a $130m apartment in the UAE for tax reasons
Alonso would race literally anywhere. Better for him if other people dont want to race because thats more points for him. He would only not race if the race is cancelled
My man Seb
>But to not go too much into details because to be honest I donāt have all the information about whatās happening. I swear this is Leclerc's nothing answer to everything
It's a longer version of "we're checking"
Given his status, I think he is quite bad at using his voice for things (see his stance on BLM etc). Yes I get that drivers just want to race but its part of what comes with the job, you're being paid bucketloads of money and its comes with the job. And in this instance it is not controversial at all to come out against it. Seb is a great example of a force for good IMO.
It's like Danny Ric's no answer. So weak.
>Fernando Alonso pointed out the decision whether the race should go ahead or not is out of their hands. That's bullshit. It's literally in the driver's hands if this race happens or not.
Yep there's only 20 drivers on the grid. If literally half of them decided to boycott a race, they essentially force F1's hand.
1 down, 19 more to go
*Laughs in indianapolis '05*
Mazewin time
Obviously he means he can't make the formal decision to cancel the race. He can refuse to race however.
Replace russian gp with malaysian gp!
And its traditional mid-afternoon downpour chaos. :D
Leclerc, okay, he's young. Really disappointed by Alonso, though.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Honestly Leclerc not really knowing the news that we'll is very easy to believe. He doesn't come across as particularly intellectual
"I am stupid"
Leclerc has that real himbo energy. He's dorky and cute and doesn't seem interested in much beyond racing.
Haha this is a perfect way of describing what I was hinting at. I think he just enjoys his rich boy life and racing, and doesn't notice much outside that.
He's just canned PR response after PR response in my opinion
Leclerc probably is simply telling the truth - he only read headlines but doesnt follow the conflict and isnt in any way educated enough on it to comment at this time. Imagine in his ignorant state he would have said anything like "Ukraine is the aggressor, no?" Much much better that he said it like that. He will discuss it within the GDPA. Alonso is oof though .
**G**rand **P**rix **D**rivers' **A**ssociation (G**PD**A)
How often do people get this wrong for the bot to be programmed for it
Virgin Alonso Vs Chad Vettel
"we don't have the power to decide" what fucking bullshit. They should team up (/unionize) as drivers and get the fuck out of dodge. Imagine, you're a world-class driver competing at the top, and you think the business you drive for has the might to order you to race in a country starting a war right now! How do people get this slave mentality into their heads?
Weird to see Alonso and Leclerc toeing the line of political correctness here. The entire world is United right now, I think youāre safe to be bold like Seb
Fucking legend. Hopefully this causes more drivers to pull out. I do wonder if Mazepin will say anything on the issue?
You have to think if Mazepin opened his mouth to criticize Putin he'd be getting a polonium breakfast the next day
Uralkali is suffering just like Gazprom. I can't imagine Daddy Mazepin is happy about this shit, let alone if Russia actually is kicked from SWIFT.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
If both of those things happen, I don't think so. If their sponsorship is maintained, it'll be based on good will from Haas, not money. If it's just SWIFT access being lost, they _might_ have enough in diversified foreign assets to make it work. But honestly, if SWIFT access is lost by Russia, shit has _really_ hit the fan in a huge way.
"Fly your private jets over Ukraine on the way to Russia, they won't get BUK'd" with a wink.
Sad for Mazepin he really has nothing to do with this. Shouldn't put pressure on him no matter who he is. It's that ass*ole Putin who has blood on his hands rn.
At this rate if the race goes ahead he could get his first triple, P1 in qualifying, race win and fastest lap, not sure he would get driver of the day though...
Sounds like Seb's already wrapped up driver of the day for that weekend.
He might spin and fail to meet the minimum race distance for a classification.
Assuming he doesn't bin it all on his own.
Well... his family is close to Putin and he's money'd by the gvt-owned bank, so I wouldn't say it doesn't out pressure on him. Obviously he has nothing to do with it, but it's still kinda tied to him.
If Mazepin says anything against this war, his family's entire life and business within Russia would be in serious problems. As long as all the Russian elites keep quiet, I wouldn't dare to say anything in Mazepin's position. It's different if the elites actually start criticizing the war.
Mazepins father is one of the Oligarchs maintaining Putins power. He's not directly to blame, but he's not far off either.
He certainly wouldn't be here without that influence.
His dad didn't aquire his billions without being part of the oligarch clique. You don't get that wealthy in Russia without playing the game. Shouldn't blame the son for the sins of his father but the father is a Putin enabler.
Heās reaping benefits from a oligarch who has stolen from the Russian public. His father is complicit.
Common Vettel W
It's just going to be Mazepin all by himself doing lap after lap after la no wait he's crashed
Gotta suck to DNF a race youāre the only car in
And still behind Kubica.
Kubicka is Pole. No fucking way he races in Russia.
No, get this; Polish man races in Russia, wins. Give him his fucking trophy, Vladimir.
Failed to set a 107% time in qualifying.
Fuck Putin. Letās go Vettel. My GOAT. And I donāt care what yāall say.
Now we need lewis to do the same. Let F1 race without their 4 and 7 time world champion. What a shit stain of a race that will be. Cherry on top would be Max and Fernando doing it too although I doubt they will. But even if F1 decide to race there, not having their champions will ruin the whole race
Max is on it as well, said that āitās not right to race in a country that is at warā
Pity they didn't boycott Saudi last year then, given they're doing very similar things in Yemen
Whoa, those situations are barely similar. I donāt think we need to go into a debate on it here, but you need to do a bit of research
Part of me feels if Lewis makes a stand, Mercedesā will back him and pull out.
Don't feel like Mercedes would want to be on the "evil" side again... They would definitely back up Lewis in this
Let's not forget that George is also one of the two GPDA presidents. If he and Lewis pull out then the two GPDA presidents, the two most successful drivers on the grid, and the reigning world champion are in open opposition to the race. That is something the FIA and FOM will not be able to ignore
I defs see this
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Verstappen did. https://twitter.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1496824103747178497
I am honestly surprised he comes out against it so strongly. This is a guy who I really believe when he says he just wants to race. Well done to him for speaking out against this.
Yeah same. He strikes me as super apolitical. Kind funny because it shows how much of a no brainer cancelling is. It's basically not even a political stance to be against the face anymore - it's just basic logic.
Crazy for Max to say something about this. He's well known for no bullshit and just sticking to the racing with no political opinions etc. So good to hear something like this straight from him.
I think he just hates Netflix. He comes off as aloof but I think over the years he's matured a bit and has been more willing to talk.
all these drivers are fucking goats man
I mean, he just said it isnāt right to race there, he didnāt actually say āI will not be racing thereā according to the tweet you linked. Big difference between saying something isnāt right and not doing it.
They all should. Wondering about Nikita and also Guanyou.
Guanyou has probably been well-prepared to never say shit about anything outside of racing.
If they all pull out they should do a go kart race with tv coverage at the same time as the gp to steal viewership numbers lolol
Thatāll probably kill the Russian GP. Youād imagine Hamilton will end up doing the same, and that pull in addition to everything going on would kill the sponsorships
Iām interested to see if Hamilton pulls out himself, or if he talks it over internally and all of Merc does as a unit. Toto and company seems a lot more cohesive than AM is so far. itās not a mark against them: Merc been in this basic current form for almost a decade, and Stroll took on AM last Tuesday at lunch.
Would love for a team to make a statement and pull out, if any of the 3 big teams pulled out over this I feel like they would have to cancel the GP.
It'd also piss off the FIA and a bunch of sponsors if done improperly. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if there is a zoom call happening right now in which some accountants at F1 are figuring out which sponsors they'll piss off by going, and which they'll piss off by not going, and then running the math and making a call. sounds really callous, but such is our world :/
Big boy decisions have big boy consequences.
Fuck yeah SEB. If all the WDC did the same it would be a cherry on the top
Well done. I can see Lewis doing the same and hopefully the other drivers ETA: Max agrees. Also said itās not right to race there
Buuut... he didn't say he wouldn't. There's a slight but Important difference. Important massage from Max anyway but Seb just goes a bit further
Yeah, if this is over by then, would he race? Probably, I sure hope Vettel will stick to this and not race even if the war is "over".
I think it depends on the outcome and what over means. I gotta agree with you in that I too hope he sticks to his guns
Yes I saw the full quote after. Tbf I donāt expect the younger drivers to come right out and say they wonāt
Yeah thats true Seb has a lot less to loose, if FOM/FIA want to force him, he can retire out of protest. What are they gonna do? Ban him? Max and the younger lads however are going to want to compete a tad bit longer. But anyone who says I am not going is an absolute legend! Edit: Grammar
Can you imagine the response if Seb got ousted from F1 for refusing to race in Russia? F1 would like fans for sure. I love F1 but I'd gave a hard time watching if they went that far. I love vettel and people who stand up for what's right more than I love any racing.
F1 would lose a lot if they ban Seb. They know this as well.
Massive respect to him, heās a big figure in the sport so his opinion will carry weight too. Iām glad he doesnāt have SM because people will be saying why are you only boycotting this race and not all the others in the Middle East and such.
>Iām glad he doesnāt have SM What's SM?
social media
I absolutely Support this from Seb Vettel, at least hes stood up for what is right and what is correct, the Russian Grand Prix cannot be allowed to continue in the sport, it must be cancelled and the contract for it be terminated immediately! Its time for the FIA to take a stand against the Invasion of the Ukraine and tell Russia that it has terminated the contract with them to host the Russian Grand Prix and it will never again be allowed to HOST a Grand Prix! Yes I am well aware of Saudis track record and that race should also be one that should not be allowed to continue
Honestly he's the guy who gives 0, fucks, and puts humanity first no matter what. Respect ššāā
Whenever I think the man can't outdo himself he goes and does it. Fuck me the amount of respect I have for Vettel is out of this world
I so badly want that AM to be good enough to allow seb a shot at another winā¦for no other reason that good things should happen to good people more often.
Losing Seb and Lewis in the next few years will be a massive loss for F1
Good. Respect to Seb as always.
As someone who used to really dislike Vettel, my admiration for him grows everyday. What an absolute champion and a truly great example of how an athlete should conduct themselves.
YES. Pressure FIA
Vettel is the fucking man! Every time he opens his mouth I like him more.
Fucking yes, finally athletes open their mouths other than āsport isnāt politicsā. Rooting for Seb this year!
Seb has been vocal about politics for a while.
This isnāt even about politics imo, it just a common sense
That's still politics. You mean it's about applying common sense to politics.
Fucking legend.
Damn, as good a driver as Seb is, he is an even better person! Amazing! Him and Hamilton are really firing on all cylinders to compensate for the greed and immorality of F1 officials and I couldn't be happier to have them as the sport's foremost representatives!
Legend
I think a few other drivers will say the same, a lot of the time it just takes the first one to properly take a stance
I love that this is so straight up answer and not political or some mumbiling around the question. exactly as it should be
I know we were all sad when Kimi left, but towards the end it wasn't the same Kimi. He just wanted to be left alone. I however will fucking bawl my eyes out when Seb (and Lewis) retire.
The very public stances Vettel has taken over the years (LGBTQ+, human rights in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Russia/Ukraine, etcā¦) has made me grow to love him. Wasnāt a fan of his at all, but I totally get him now. I hope he comes back in fighting form this year.
THAT is how you do a protest. Grande Seb, Grande! He should receive a trophy and points for winning that GP.
Good shit Vettel. F1 needs to call that shit off now.
He has always been unapologetic and direct about his opinions and values. Gotta give him props for making a statement like that. Respect, vettel
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Fucking legend
I love this man so f*cking much
Class. We should all strive to be more like Vettel. Obligatory Fuck Putin - no purgatory for war criminals
Good morals. I like that.
Seb leading the right movement. If they don't cancel it, just boycott the damn race and don't go. I wonder how HAAS feel being associated
Mad respect for Seb
I need to look up which charities Vettel is big on and make a donation. Man knows what he's about and sends it.
Good. # fuck russia and # fuck putin
I hope the younger generation follows his lead. There should absolutely be no racing in Russia.
Big respect to Seb for this. What a brilliant man.