Vettel could not afford to have a career today
Sebastian Vettel believes that the costs of pursuing a career in motorsports are far too high at present. In this context, he would not have been able to afford a career.
As Germany is likely experiencing its last Grand Prix, the question of the popularity of motorsports arises in a country where the automotive industry is very significant and which managed to rally during the era of Michael Schumacher’s dominance.
When questioned on the subject, Sebastian Vettel stated that the main reason for the decline in love for F1 in Germany is the prohibitive costs required to access the discipline through the various promotional categories: « I think Germans are quite clear about how they spend their money. Unfortunately, the promotional categories, from karting and through the different categories, are far too expensive. »
He thus took his personal example and that of Nico Hülkenberg, also at the same press conference: « Nico and I had fun karting, fighting against each other. I think we come from roughly the same social background. I think if we presented ourselves today, our careers would end quite quickly because we simply don’t have the money to do it. »
These remarks can also be placed in the context of the intense discussions currently taking place around the commercial future of F1. Indeed, today, the dominance of the three major teams is fueled by the exorbitant budgets they allocate to the discipline.
This is one of the elements that Claire Williams mentioned in the same German paddock: « The economic aspect of Formula 1 must be resolved, particularly the distribution of revenue. This particular point will give us the fundamental platform to have a better show. If you have a more equitable distribution of revenue, you will inevitably have better races. »
Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull today seem willing to adopt a budget cap. The question that remains on the table is to determine at what level this ceiling will be set because if it is deemed too low, they would then be forced to lay off staff, without the other teams necessarily having the means to recruit them.
From our special correspondent in Hockenheim
