Vettel's great initiative for the emancipation of Saudi women

Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), beyond being a quadruple world champion of Formula 1, is a committed man. His stances for the LGBT cause in Turkey in 2020, reiterated in 2021 notably in Hungary, were followed this week by an initiative towards women in Saudi Arabia.

The German pilot actually organized a session of karting solely intended for the fairer sex on the sidelines of the first Grand Prix contested in Jeddah. “I had been thinking about it for some time, and I took the plunge. It was a beautiful moment, they were inspiring and grateful”, he declared this Thursday, December 2.

© Sebastian Vettel Media

“Women have only been allowed to drive in this country for four years (2018). It may seem shocking! There are various things that are wrong (in this country) and which do not coincide with the Western vision of freedom, but it is also true that these small victories such as access to driving are perceived by these women as fundamental events. For us, it's normal, for them, it's a complete life change. »

Sebastian Vettel was delighted with this experience and remains in line with the progressive opening of this Middle Eastern country to more tolerant rules of society. “At the end of the day, it's very difficult for us to come to a country where we spend maybe only a few days and try to be a perfect judge without knowing exactly the context and the people. For me, it was important to get to know some of these women.”