Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula 1 World Champion, has fully embraced a new mission since retiring: to champion environmental causes with dedication and heart. In 2024, he traveled to the Amazon with Greenpeace to visit the Kayapó communities and brought awareness to the accelerating dangers of deforestation and illegal mining through moving imagery and words. He described the experience as “like having an inside to hell,” capturing the urgency of the situation.
Vettel’s environmental activism spans multiple meaningful projects. He created a “Buzzin’ Corner” at Suzuka Circuit, installing insect-hotel beehives at Turn 2 to promote biodiversity and awareness of insects’ decline. In Austria, he helped students build a bee hotel shaped like a racing car, encouraging connection with nature and teaching about biological conservation.
As a learner and educator, he visited a school in Switzerland to run workshops explaining the concept of circularity and lifecycle management of everyday products—how items become waste and how to rethink that path. He also established a bee meadow in Germany under the “Bee Wild” conservation initiative, inviting local children to participate in creating wildlife habitats by planting seeds and painting stones to enhance biodiversity.
Beyond projects and community education, Vettel has reflected publicly on his own environmental impact. He admits that as an F1 driver he had a huge carbon footprint—measuring up to 400 tons of CO₂ per year—but has since reduced it significantly by changing travel habits and awareness of consumption. He also encourages Formula 1 to adopt lighter cars, electrification, and carbon-neutral fuels, pushing for sustainability in the sport itself.
Moreover, since retiring he began studying agriculture through an apprenticeship in Switzerland, driven by his passion for organic farming and environmental stewardship—preparing for a possible farm-based business rooted in sustainability.
Sebastian Vettel exemplifies the power of transformation: from racing legend to environmental advocate. By using his platform to witness, teach, build, and act, he continues to inspire collective responsibility for a sustainable future.
