Sebastian Vettel to FOM?

News from a few sites is that German news publisher Bild has interviewed Stefano Domenicali and stated that Sebastian is considered or being offered a role with F1 Management.

Following his retirement announcement at the Hungarian GP, Stefano Dominicali has moved to offer Sebastian Vettel a role in FOM.

The Italian admitted Vettel’s decision to retire was a surprise.“I read it on the news,” said Domenicali. “Now I will speak to Sebastian.”

Speaking to German publication Bild, Stefano did say that he has already spoken with Vettel and has offered him a role in Formula One Management.

“Among other things, we talked about his decision and the future,”

“Sebastian will always be associated with Formula 1. And of course we want that connection to remain close in the future. If he is interested in becoming part of our system and the approaches fit together, I would of course welcome him here.” “But we already know that, after the season, he wants to sort himself out and enjoy time with his family.”

The German media are speculating whether Vettel’s role could be related to his endeavors on sustainability and social progress. 

With Seb's recent spat accusing Formula One of dragging on about introducing a more sustainable fuel, and by proving a point and running Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Williams on CO2 free fuel.

Dominicali did say Vettel’s criticism was unfair and observed the difference between the challenges F1 faces and Vettel’s laps.

“It makes a difference whether you have to get a single car prepared for one or two laps or twenty cars prepared for 70 laps and a whole season,” Domenicali insisted.

Makes a good place to be and make a change, I say Yay!

A driver with no management experience to drop him into any role at the FOM? What could possibly go wrong?

Considering that the story allegedly is from BILD, I would take it with a few pounds of salt. Maybe Domenicali is thinking about Vettel joining FOM, but until I hear it from da man himself, I'll be doubtful.

Keep racking up those frequent flier miles Seb. 

You don't need experience. You need common sense and that's hard to find nowadays.. 

A FOM classic.

https://youtu.be/TM9xZSJO4is

How about Seb replacing Binotto 

I can perfectly imagine Seb to become head of FIA in the future and work for sustainable individual transport and zero-emission motor racing. But not now, maybe in five or ten years.

A driver with no management experience to drop him into any role at the FOM? What could possibly go wrong?

If he could just replace their TV director ...

Maybe he will become the Track Limits Grand Marshal.  Poacher turned gamekeeper?

“Sebastian will always be associated with Formula 1. And of course we want that connection to remain close in the future. If he is interested in becoming part of our system and the approaches fit together, I would of course welcome him here.”

It would be interesting to know what Domenicali had in mind... Perhaps Formula One Director of Greenwashing?

Edited by ANF, 04 August 2022 - 15:52.

Someone needs to tell Domenicali that plant based race fuel is a thing.  As well as bio diesel.  The issues F1 has with E10 is because some team engineers didn’t get it right and not that alcohol based fuels don’t work. Shell has an E85 race fuel right now.

Someone needs to tell Domenicali that plant based race fuel is a thing.  As well as bio diesel.  The issues F1 has with E10 is because some team engineers didn’t get it right and not that alcohol based fuels don’t work. Shell has an E85 race fuel right now.

not the right thread for this but I still don't understand the "clean bio fuel" Does it not still burn the same way and give off emissions? or do unicron farts come out of the exhaust tip?

Greenhouse gasses are significantly reduced on combustion.  Growing, harvesting and producing the fuel has a smaller carbon footprint compared to petroleum.  As for the unicorn farts I don't know but the next time I smell one I’ll post an update…

Greenhouse gasses are significantly reduced on combustion.  Growing, harvesting and producing the fuel has a smaller carbon footprint compared to petroleum.  As for the unicorn farts I don't know but the next time I smell one I’ll post an update…

Interesting, that is what I was wondering about

not the right thread for this but I still don't understand the "clean bio fuel" Does it not still burn the same way and give off emissions? or do unicron farts come out of the exhaust tip?

Do you really want to be messing around with farts from this thing:

He can be the official F1 Quiz Master ... AKA Director of Grill the Grid.

Someone needs to tell Domenicali that plant based race fuel is a thing.  As well as bio diesel.  The issues F1 has with E10 is because some team engineers didn’t get it right and not that alcohol based fuels don’t work. Shell has an E85 race fuel right now.

Tiny 1.6 litre 4 bangers driving in circles is the least of F1's emissions problems. 

The idea one can produce and ship 20 cars, a whack spares, roughly 750 personnel and a bazillion rubber tyres and fly them in a zig zagging fashion all over the globe several times a year...... in a "Carbon Neutral' way, is absolutely laughable. There is no free lunch people. 

Tiny 1.6 litre 4 bangers driving in circles is the least of F1's emissions problems. 

 

The idea one can produce and ship 20 cars, a whack spares, roughly 750 personnel and a bazillion rubber tyres and fly them in a zig zagging fashion all over the globe several times a year...... in a "Carbon Neutral' way, is absolutely laughable. There is no free lunch people. 

My comment was specifically toward Domenicali comparing Vettel’s run with fueling a full paddock.  What he saidmwas an excuse.  It’s possible right now.

Carbon neutral doesn’t mean the entourage is self sustaining.  It means you do other things, many times not related to your actual task,  to offset your footprint.  

Tiny 1.6 litre 4 bangers driving in circles is the least of F1's emissions problems. 

 

The idea one can produce and ship 20 cars, a whack spares, roughly 750 personnel and a bazillion rubber tyres and fly them in a zig zagging fashion all over the globe several times a year...... in a "Carbon Neutral' way, is absolutely laughable. There is no free lunch people. 

Indeed, the tyres seem to be by far the biggest environmental problem related directly to the racing (that is, excluding all the flying). They have terrible production and logistical emissions. Also all those marbles and microplastics are nasty.

not the right thread for this but I still don't understand the "clean bio fuel" Does it not still burn the same way and give off emissions? or do unicron farts come out of the exhaust tip?

Like you I seem to have a gap in my understanding, but my (limited) understanding of "carbon neutral fuel" is that it is synthetically produced via a chemical process that captures CO2 from the atmosphere, that corresponds to the amount that will be spewed back out when it is burned (i.e. neutral overall). Ready to be corrected the hell out of though. And apologies if this needs to be spun off into another thread or something.

Like you I seem to have a gap in my understanding, but my (limited) understanding of "carbon neutral fuel" is that it is synthetically produced via a chemical process that captures CO2 from the atmosphere, that corresponds to the amount that will be spewed back out when it is burned (i.e. neutral overall). Ready to be corrected the hell out of though. And apologies if this needs to be spun off into another thread or something.

Edited by Augurk, 04 August 2022 - 22:35.

Like you I seem to have a gap in my understanding, but my (limited) understanding of "carbon neutral fuel" is that it is synthetically produced via a chemical process that captures CO2 from the atmosphere, that corresponds to the amount that will be spewed back out when it is burned (i.e. neutral overall). Ready to be corrected the hell out of though. And apologies if this needs to be spun off into another thread or something.

This is my understanding and whoever believes this is possible, I have a bridge to sell you ;) 

This is my understanding and whoever believes this is possible, I have a bridge to sell you ;)

This is my understanding and whoever believes this is possible, I have a bridge to sell you ;) 

The point is to reduce emissions not eliminate them.  When something combusts there is byproduct.  That’s chemistry.  The goal is to minimize both the quantity and the hazard.   

If it's something he wants, I could see Seb working his way up the FOM ladder. Or being a cog in the machine if that better suits him. 

Yes, running a V10 for a few laps isn't the same as the whole grid for 90 minutes but it's proof of concept. Like Formula E, it's in no way the final, finished package. But it proves it can be done.

Indeed, the tyres seem to be by far the biggest environmental problem related directly to the racing (that is, excluding all the flying). They have terrible production and logistical emissions. Also all those marbles and microplastics are nasty.

Edited by Tenmantaylor, 05 August 2022 - 08:00.

One could just plant a bunch of trees. It’s all the same.

Not when you scale it up - you end up planting the wrong trees in the wrong places. It all seems fine on paper.

Tiny 1.6 litre 4 bangers driving in circles is the least of F1's emissions problems. 

 

The idea one can produce and ship 20 cars, a whack spares, roughly 750 personnel and a bazillion rubber tyres and fly them in a zig zagging fashion all over the globe several times a year...... in a "Carbon Neutral' way, is absolutely laughable. There is no free lunch people. 

Pretty sure F1 doesn't use "4 bangers" ;-)

You are correct that shipping 20 cars, spares, tools, personnel and tyres around the world comes with many costs but "carbon neutral" is not the same as "zero carbon" so no-one (with actual knowledge) is suggesting there is some kind of free lunch.

There are issues with offsetting CO2 release, some with significant oversight issues, but every strategy used, eg carbon neutral fuel, making a calendar that doesn't require zig-zagging around the globe, can have a positive effect. 

The problem with selling man-made global warming is that there is no single way to alleviate the problem.  This means that it is easy for people to convince themselves that making a whole bunch of tiny changes to their lives has no effect (forgetting how things scale when multiplied by 8 billion) or that there is no simple solution so why do anything at all.

You can also add the bs greenwashing that either erodes public confidence that those who are the biggest problem are doing less than the minimum or, conversely, that everything is ok because those groups are doing so much - depending on your level of cynicism.

I hope Vettel gives FOM a wide berth as I see no reason for offering him a position except for greenwashing purposes.

If he could just replace their TV director ...

Pretty much anyone  could.

There's also the interest and open invitation from Bobby & Graham Rahal to join Indy League and they would happily add a 4th car (or whatever it is they have) for him.

Dont think he'll do it, but would like to see him give it a few races try out at least.