“Perhaps it wouldn’t have been the case in the past, but now I think a gay Formula One driver would be welcomed, and rightly so,” Vettel said in the interview with the LGBTQ+ magazine Attitude, which featured him on its cover. The Aston Martin driver sported rainbow-colored shirt at last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix that read “same love,” protesting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. But in recent years, there has been a hefty push for more diversity and inclusion in F1, and the four-time world champion has helped lead the conversation.
The sport’s championship began in 1950, and since 1976, only male drivers have started on the grid.
Sebastian Vettel has consistently spoken out in support of the LGBTQ+ community, most recently saying during an interview with Attitude Magazine that Formula One would welcome an openly gay driver.
