F1 would ‘welcome’ openly gay driver but ‘more we can do’ on inclusivity, says Sebastian Vettel

Mark Beuttler is the only known gay driver to have competed in the sport

Alex Pattle
Thursday 09 June 2022 10:53 BST
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Sebastian Vettel has said he believes that Formula 1 would ‘welcome’ an openly gay driver, while admitting that the sport has some way to go in promoting ‘inclusivity’.

Mark Beuttler, who raced in F1 in the early 1970s, is the only known gay driver to have competed in the sport. In 1988, the Briton died at the age of 48 due to complications resulting from AIDS.

In 2019, the organisation Racing Pride was launched in an effort to promote greater LGBT+ in motorsport, and it announced a partnership with Alpine on Thursday.

Four-time F1 champion Vettel, who drives for Aston Martin, will feature on the cover of the July/August edition of Attitude – one of the world’s most popular gay magazines. Vettel, who is straight, is described by the publication as an “LGBTQ ally”, and the German discussed inclusivity in F1 in his upcoming interview with the magazine.

“I’ve not seen it directly, but indirectly I’ve heard people [in F1] talking negatively about LGBTQ people and the LGBTQ community,” Vettel said.

“Whenever I heard those things it always felt wrong, but today I’m more confident to speak up and shut them down. Homophobia is prejudice, and prejudice is wrong. It really is that simple.”

When asked why an F1 driver could potentially struggle to come out as gay, Vettel said: “I guess it might be similar to the situation in a sport like football: the old image of a player or driver as a ‘hero’ who should match a certain set of criteria. But the judging criteria are just wrong.

“How are those stereotypes in any way related to performance? Who got to decide? It takes enormous courage to show your real self rather than hiding behind a facade based on what people expect.

“It’s getting better, you do now see a few engineers and mechanics who feel able to be more open, but there’s still more we can do to improve diversity and inclusivity in motorsport – not only in terms of sexuality but also by supporting and encouraging women, people of colour, those with disabilities, and so on.

“Formula 1 has started a movement called ‘We Race As One’, which is good, but we all have to make a concerted effort to ensure that it actually achieves positive change, so we act on it rather than just talk about it.”

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