Sebastian Vettel put on a customised ‘No War’ helmet in the Bahrain test to express solidarity with Ukraine
Sebastian Vettel replaced his regular F1 helmet with a customised ‘No War’ helmet in support of Ukraine and it’s people.
Vettel is the director of Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) and had earlier hinted at a collective response from the F1 drivers on the Ukraine crisis. This seems to be the first display of response. During the Bahrain test, all drivers present wore a special ‘No War‘ T-shirt using a sunflower in Ukraine’s flag colors.
Vettel took to the track putting on his customized helmet with the ‘No War’ logo and featuring the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag replacing his usual German flag decal. Later, other F1 drivers also took to social media to express their solidarity with Ukraine. The helmet also had a dove holding an olive branch in its mouth and the lyrics to John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine‘ on the top.
Sebastian Vettel wishes there was no need for the ‘No War’ helmet
The 4-time F1 Champion has been deeply affected by the developments in Ukraine. He wishes there was no war and therefore no need for the helmet. “I wish I would have not come up with the design because there was no need. It’s horrible what’s happening. It’s like a nightmare and we don’t seem to wake up, so that’s the reason why my helmet design is quite simple but effective, I decided to go that way”, said Vettel. He further added, “It’s a strong sign to just show the support. All the drivers got together as well on Wednesday as we thought we would just use the opportunity to just show that we are united and take a stand.”
Meanwhile, Vettel had to slightly alter the design on his helmet as one of the flags included was from the unrecognised region of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The helmet designer, Jen’s Munser Designs has already issued a statement of apology on social media. Speaking on the issue, Vettel said, “I didn’t check all the flags but apparently there were some issues. I took the little sticker off because some people got upset which fails the message. The message is that obviously the whole world should be united and is united I think to fight the war.” The German added, “We grew up in times of peace and I think we appreciate peace a lot. It’s like a nightmare, a shock to see the images and to see what’s happening in the news.”
Vettel has been a vocal figure regarding social issues throughout the world and we definitely echo his thoughts on the Ukraine crisis.
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