The conflict unleashed by Russia in Ukraine prompted the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association to take to the track in Bahrain before testing began, displaying a banner and wearing T-shirts with the message “No War”.
During the tests Sebastian Vettel wore a special helmet. The German replaced the colors of Germany with those of Ukraine, inserted the drawing of a dove with an olive branch and had the text of John Leonn’s Imagine printed on the cap.
“I wish I hadn’t come up with this design. It would have meant that there was no need, ”Vettel explained at the end of the three-day test in Bahrain.
“It is a strong signal to show our support. All the riders met on Wednesday and we thought we would take the opportunity to show our unity and take a position ”.
“What is happening is horrible. It seems like a nightmare from which we cannot wake up and this is the reason that prompted me to carry out the case. A simple but effective message “.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR22
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Vettel was forced to make a design change because a flag from the unrecognized region of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was depicted in the lower area. Jens Munser Design, author of the helmet, released a statement via social media in which he apologized for the mistake, stating that he used archive images.
“In the lower part there was the possibility to insert all the flags of the world” explained Vettel. “I didn’t check all the flags, but there was some problem. I removed that sticker because some people got angry and the message would have been distorted ”.
“The message I wanted to send is that the whole world should be united and against war. We grew up in times of peace and that’s something we appreciate. Seeing those images in the news is a shock ”.
Over the last few years Vettel has wanted to convey different messages for different issues and has used his helmet to share his thoughts with the world.
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