In Bahrain, Sebastian Vettel made a statement against the Ukraine war with his “No War” helmet design, even if he wished he hadn’t had to
“I wish I hadn’t had to come up with the design because there would have been no need for it,” commented Sebastian Vettel on his anti-war helmet, which he took to the track at the recent Formula One test in Bahrain, making an unequivocal statement against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“It’s a strong sign to just show the support,” said the German. “All the riders came together on Wednesday and we thought we’d take the opportunity to show we’re united and take a stand.”
Against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the drivers had gathered collectively on the grid before the start of testing in Bahrain, wearing T-shirts and carrying a banner with the message “No War” to express their solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Vettel: “Simple but effective helmet design “
Vettel additionally relied on a special helmet design. “It’s terrible what’s happening. It’s like a nightmare and we don’t seem to wake up. That’s why I went for a simple but effective helmet design,” the Aston Martin driver explained the motivation behind the design.
The helmet, which was white, featured the Ukraine colours and the words “No War”, as well as a peace dove and the lyrics of John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. In addition, numerous national flags were depicted at the bottom to express the wish for world peace.
As one of the flags was from the unrecognised region of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Vettel was forced to revise the design at short notice. His helmet designer, Jens Munser Designs, apologised in a statement.
Anger over flag “misses the message “
“I haven’t checked all the flags, but apparently there were some problems. I took the little sticker off because some people were upset about it, which I think misses the message,” Vettel points out.
“The message is that the whole world should be united, and I think it is united to fight war. We grew up in times of peace and I think we appreciate peace very much. It’s like a nightmare, a shock to see the pictures and hear what’s happening on the news.”
Vettel has been vocal about issues around the world in recent years and has often used his helmet design to spread messages. In Hungary 2021, for example, he rode in a rainbow helmet with the slogan “Change The World” to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community.
