Outgoing former 4-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has criticised F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali on his comments around the viability of women drivers in F1. Domenicali said, "realistically speaking unless there is something like a meteorite” he didn’t expect a female driver on the grid any time soon.
"It was a very unlucky choice of words. I don't see a reason why we can't have a woman on the grid,” said Vettel on the choice of Italian’s words. Domenicali admittedly so wasn’t against the idea of women in F1 and said his team at Liberty Media was working overtime to make it happen but believed that realistically, this wasn’t going to happen in the short term.
"Crucial to give the maximum possibility for women to come to F1 - we are totally dedicated to that. We are working on that to see what we can do to improve the system. And you will see soon some action,” said Domenicali.
Vettel who understood the given context of Domenicali’s words said that he gave the wrong message to prospective women drivers.
"It's statements like that which I guess women or girls are probably confronted with when they are growing up and sharing their dreams, sitting at breakfast saying I want to become a racing driver. And the father might just have read exactly statements like that and say: 'You do like other things, why not focus on other things?” he explained.
"Maybe they do focus on other things and drop racing or the idea. It is important we don't say these things because there are sparks everywhere. I encourage every girl to speak up and prove Stefano in this regard wrong, and all these people wrong who say certain things can't be done by you because you are a girl or woman. This type of stereotypical thinking is slowly disappearing but has to disappear completely,” he added.
Vettel of late ever since leaving Ferrari at the end of the 2020 season has taken more of an activist-like stance in F1. Be it him speaking against the emissions generated by F1 and its driver's thanks to the racing or the logistics of traveling across the world or be it women’s rights in the sport.
When Vettel announced his retirement from the sport a couple of weeks ago on the cusp of the Hungarian GP, it has been believed many people in the F1 paddock have been relieved to see him go as his growing voice and influence as the 3rd most successful GP driver of all time has made things difficult for the F1 management. That being said, Domenicali in the last few weeks hinted that there may be a role offered to the retiring Aston Martin driver after he calls it a day later this year at the Abu Dhabi race.
