Sebastian Vettel was surprised to learn Formula One has scrapped the pre-race ceremony that allow the driver to knee before races, the gesture says “a bit too strong for the business side of things”.
F1 launches the ‘We Race As One’ initiative in 2020 in solidarity with the worldwide anti-racism movement.
Vettel often joins Lewis Hamilton in using the ceremony to highlight major issues, especially when he wearing a rainbow Pride shirt before the Hungarian Grand Prix last year to protest against the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
This week F1 announced the ‘We Race As One’ ceremony would be canceled in 2022. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said the championship would instead come up with more concrete actions to combat the crash. racial segregation.
It is unclear whether the drivers will have time to rest before the scheduled races ahead of the current race.
Asked if drivers have been informed of F1’s thinking, Vettel said: “No, they just changed.
“I’m a bit surprised. I think the problems we’re dealing with won’t go away in two years. And so I’m a bit surprised.
“I hope that as drivers we find a way to come together and find a place to express the topics that are still important to us.
“Perhaps not all the drivers are interested, but I think there are some who do. And it would be nice to be together.
“But maybe it became too powerful and personal for the business side of things.”
The Formula 1 season kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.
There are two pre-season tests scheduled – the first at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya, just outside Barcelona, from February 23-25, and the second at the International Circuit Sakhir of Bahrain from 10-12 March.
