Sebastian Vettel has had a real villain to hero redemption arc in Formula 1, with the man who was despised by some for his cockiness and early success becoming one of the most loved drivers of all time by the end of his career.
As the German matured, he made sure that he used every available opportunity to use his fame and exposure for good, often protesting against various injsutices in the world.
At the Canadian Grand Prix last season the 35-year-old wore a special helmet, with a design that protested against various environmental crimes taking place in the country.
While Vettel will not be affected by the FIA’s new rule which bans unapproved political, religious or personal gestures from F1 following his retirement, the likes of Lewis Hamilton, who also uses every opportunity available to promote positive causes, will be silenced.
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The German has now addressed the controversial new rule, claiming that the rule is nonsense and that it makes no sense to stop making a stand.
“Yes, that’s a bit of nonsense. There may have been a bit of trouble then [if he was still racing],” he told Auto Bild.
“Of course, it always depends on what question you’re asked and what the topic is. But I think it’s absolutely important to take a stand on some issues.
“And we’ve seen in recent years that more and more people are taking a stand. It doesn’t make much sense to go against that now.”
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Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has revealed that while the drivers have not yet held a discussion with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association about their concern over the new FIA rule, they do aim to speak about the gesture ban in the near future.
It has been suggested that because the likes of Hamilton and Vettel often protest against the poor human rights records of host countries such as Qatar and Bahrain, silencing these protests will help to keep these nations happy and make them more likely to remain on the calendar.
Perez has been joined by Valtteri Bottas in his protests against the FIA, with the Finn claiming that while he does not involve himself in politics, it is completely unfair to not allow the drivers to express their views.