Vettel explains presence in Brazil – chimes in on F1 title battle

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Sebastian Vettel is back in the Formula 1 paddock this weekend, and while the German remain a racer at heart, his return to Interlagos is for a different kind of race: one to protect the planet.

The former Grand Prix driver’s presence at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is part of his ongoing environmental campaign. This time, Vettel is promoting an initiative called F①REST - drawn together, which aims to highlight the importance of biodiversity through art and community participation.

“I’m back in Brazil,” Vettel wrote Instagram. “Last year I travelled here to see and discover the Amazon rainforest, meet the indigenous people. I was very welcomed to their home. I saw how beautiful it is and how diverse and rich it is, but I also saw how fragile it is and how urgent it is to protect it. Now, this year, I’m coming back.”

“And with F①REST - drawn together, I want all of us to draw a tree,” he explained. “All the drivers, fans, kids, old people, young people, people from different backgrounds. Everyone is invited to draw their very own tree and collecting them.

“And many trees make forests and make our beautiful diverse F1 forests. That’s why I’m here and that’s what I’m trying to do. Trying to raise awareness only by seeing how rich and full of life these ecosystems are, we can start to care. And if we start to care, we can heal.”

Vettel’s passion for the environment is hardly new. From picking up litter after the 2021 British Grand Prix to building “bee hotels” with schoolchildren in Austria and Japan, he’s turned his post-F1 life into a hands-on campaign for sustainability.

Earlier this year, he even appeared in Saudi Arabia to support grassroots motorsport for women – a cause he’s championed as strongly as his environmental work.

Watching the Title Battle From the Sidelines

Of course, no visit from Vettel would be complete without a few words on the sport that made him a household name.

With Formula 1’s 2025 championship battle heating up between McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Vettel offered a thoughtful take from the sidelines.

“Yeah, why not? There are still a lot of points,” he said when asked if Verstappen could mount a late comeback. “Obviously, he’s not the favourite. Lando is the favourite right now because he’s leading, but we don’t know what happens.

“This weekend can be a crazy one. Sao Paulo has always got something up its sleeve.

“It’s nice to watch, it’s exciting. Obviously when Max closes in, it’s a bit more intense. I wish for him to get some points.”

Coming from a man who famously overturned a huge deficit to win his first title in 2010, those words carry weight.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.