The fact that an aerobatic squadron was allowed to perform in the supporting programme at Monza because the President of Italy wanted it that way annoys Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel takes on the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. The issue is the environment. Mattarella is said to have insisted that the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team fly in the Formula 1 supporting programme at Monza. This, in turn, annoys Vettel, who thinks that such actions should be avoided in the sense of Formula 1’s environmental protection campaign.
Formula 1 has long since banned flying around the Grands Prix, but there seem to be exceptions every now and then. At the Austrian Grand Prix, for example, there was not only driving but also flying; and Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was also annoyed by the VW bus equipped with a jet engine that thundered over the start and finish.
Now in Monza, the Frecce Tricolori flew past the circuit twice. Vettel is angry: “I hope they finally stop with these overflights. I heard that the president insisted on it. He is about 100 years old. It’s probably hard for him to let go of such egocracies!”
Mattarella has been President of the Republic of Italy since 2015 and, incidentally, is 81 years old, not 100. He also dropped by Formula 1 to congratulate Pirelli on its 150th anniversary. The tyre manufacturer is based in Milan and is considered one of the cornerstones of the northern Italian industry, which is important for the whole country.
Nevertheless, Vettel feels that Monza “has to stay on the calendar. It’s a great track with a great atmosphere. But we have been promised that these overflights will no longer take place. It seems to me that Formula 1 immediately buckles when the president wants something, despite all the banners on the side of the track claiming that we are committed to making the world a better place.”
Monza did not leave the best impression in terms of sustainability in other respects either. Example: In the cafeteria for journalists, disposable plastic cups were sometimes used for drinks, although disposable plastic was actually declared a war; and if you arrived there with an old cup to have it filled, it was, not always, but sometimes simply thrown away.
“Formula 1 has to stop being influenced by the outside,” Vettel criticises. “If you have a target, we shouldn’t behave like all those countries and make it easy for ourselves by saying we can’t achieve it anyway. When you make a promise, you should keep it. “
