Sebastian Vettel is “Knight of the Environment”: the special award from a school in Gothenburg

Sebastian Vettel and the “race to win” “There is still a race to win” Sebastian Vettel said in the video in which he announced his retirement from Formula 1. And since then, even if there have certainly been moments in which the four-time world champion seemed on the verge of returning to racing – he even went so far as to test a Porsche 963 in view of the 24 Hours of Le Mans – it certainly cannot be said that he has not engaged in the parallel race to which he referred, that of protection of the environment. Since his farewell to GPs in 2022, the 38-year-old German has placed a strong focus on initiatives aimed at spreading the idea of a more ecological motorsport, including demonstration laps with the historic F1 cars of Senna and Mansell powered by sustainable fuels, the “bee curve” installed in Suzuka in the 2023 Japanese GP or raising awareness of the importance of forests in the 2025 Brazilian GP. The “Knight of the Environment” award constant and tireless commitment, which earned him the nomination as “knight of the environment”. In reality it is a newly born honour, created by the teacher Catherine Nestenborg who, together with the managers of the Samskolan in Gothenburg, invited Sebastian Vettel to speak to an audience of 150 children, in a ceremony entirely based on techniques to safeguard the Planet. This was reported by the Swedish newspaper Expressen, which tells how on Tuesday the former Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin driver presented himself to receive this special investiture, while the melody of “Circle of life” resounded in the room, the famous song by Elton John (sung by Ivana Spagna in the Italian version) used as the soundtrack to the film “The Lion King”. “Thank you very much – said the former pilot during the solemn investiture ceremony, complete with a sword resting on his head and shoulder – now I really feel at home in this school. And thank you for hosting me today and for showing me what you do. I have three children at home and we dedicate a lot to ecological activities, so I bring a lot of inspiration with me. I am very inspired by what you do and by how aware you all are of the needs of our Planet”. “When I meet children, I often notice that you understand perfectly what is happening. It is rather us adults who should sometimes change our attitude and listen to you more”, concluded Sebastian Vettel.