Sebastian Vettel sees synthetic fuels as the answer to motorsport’s future as the sport aims to be greener and help the environment where possible.
The four-time world champion has already driven Formula 1 cars powered by sustainable fuels and he will do so again at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Nigel Mansell’s Williams FW14B, also known as “Red Five”.
Vettel wants to see F1 move towards synthetic and sustainable fuels rather than electrification as the sport moves into the future.
“I think synthetic fuels are a bridge to the future that can already be driven on,” Vettel told BILD.
“Of course, we don’t yet know exactly what the future will look like. So we should keep an open mind.
“There is currently a lot to be said for electromobility, because synthetic fuels currently require too much energy to produce, which we now need for other things, for example for general electricity consumption or for heating.
“However, if we have infinite energy available, the efficiency in the production of these fuels will no longer play a dominant role. The real problem is that fossil fuels are far too cheap. But the costs for the future were never included.”
Missing the tension of F1
Vettel retired at the end of the 2022 season after two years with the Aston Martin team where he raced mostly in the midfield rather than the podium pace the AMR23 has now.
Despite being at one with his decision to walk away and spend more time with his family, the German admitted that he still misses the competition and tension of racing.
“So far I’m doing very well with my decision,” he added. “But what I miss most is the competition and the tension.”
