Sebastian Vettel returned to the Formula 1 paddock in Imola, where he will bring the 2024 McLaren MP4/8 to the track. It was an opportunity to talk about safety, and the tragic event that shook his belief in continuing to race
May 16, 2024
Lor he sees himself again in what has been his natural environment for years, and it seems that Sebastian Vettel has never left. The four-time world champion returned to the paddock in Imola, where on Sunday before the Formula 1 GP he will take to the track the McLaren MP4/8 with which Ayrton Senna managed to enchant the whole world in 1993 at Donington. It was raining on that day 31 years ago, exactly like today. But when Vettel, short hair and clean facepresented himself in front of the journalists as he did until some time ago, the weather granted a brief respite.
Voutcome of Senna’s celebratory t-shirt created for his shop and accompanied by his faithful press officer, Britta Roeske, Vettel rewound the tape to 1994, the year in which Formula 1 changed forever after the fatal accidents of Roland Ratzenberger and Senna, right here on the banks of the Santerno. “The speeds are very high, and the danger remains even today – reflects Sebastian -. But I believe that after that horrible weekend the drivers formed a coalition to make their voices heardand Michael pushed hard with the Federation to make the cars and circuits safer.”
“All the drivers who continued after that weekend, and all those who followed, benefited from that weekend, as strange as it may seem – observes the four-time world champion -. An important step regarding safety standards followed. For almost ten years before that weekend F1 had not lost any drivers.” F1, like life, is made up of courses and recurrences. And the Circus found itself in the same spot ten years ago, before a new tragedy.
“We were in a similar situation in 2014 – recalls Vettel -. Of course we were aware of the risks associated with motorsport, but death was nowhere to be seen. And then there was Jules Bianchi’s accident, which cost him his life. We ask ourselves a lot of questions, if you think about everything that was implemented after what happened. It shouldn’t take tragic events like this for it to happen, progress in security is never fast enough. However, I believe that it is positive that after such dark moments the riders are trying to improve their safety, even if before it was thought that no more could be done than this.”
One might think that a very serious accident that occurred to a driver of his generation, a boy only two years younger than him, had instilled doubts in Vettel about the meaning of his career and the risks it entailed. But the time for some uncomfortable reflections would only come later. “I remember perfectly the phone calls with my wife in 2019, when Anthoine died in Spa. I wondered what reason there was for racing, what sense did that make. But it’s what I love, and in the end I decided to compete.”
But would today’s Sebastian think about racing again? Poked about this by my colleague Republic, Vettel replied “no, no, no” with a smile, before running away towards the German-speaking journalists. And in that playful moment, the mischievous, cheeky Sebastian from the beginning of his career was seen again, the one with the little finger pointing at every victory. It was just a flash, but the young Vettel is still there somewhere. And who knows, maybe today’s Sebastian might decide to make his official return to the track in an environment that suits him. The test with the WEC Porsche LMDh, after all, makes it clear that he hasn’t gotten over the ball yet.
