Motorsports
Sebastian Vettel straps pseudo national flag on his helmet
The special helmet used by Aston Martin F1’s Sebastian Vettel during the Formula 1 tests in Bahrain bears the flags of all countries that are opposed to the war in Ukraine – including that of the pseudo-state.
With this special helmet design, four-time German Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel wanted to express his strong opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he had also expressed with strong words on February 24 after Russian troops attacked the country .
To do this, he swapped the German flag for his standard white helmet with Ukrainian and has placed at its base the flags of all countries that have it to express their disapproval of Vladimir Putin’s war tactics.
Below these flags is the flag of the pseudo-state of Cyprus, which is not one not recognized by any country other than Turkey. That heavy blow from Vettel sentenced a few hours ago by the Car Club of the Republic of Cyprus, and the corresponding announcement by the Hellenic Federation of Motor Sports.
According to the Cyprus Car Club announcement “Vettel’s decision on this Placing the flag of the pseudo state is unacceptable. We demand its immediate removal flag from his helmet and the punishment of both the driver and his team».
We remind you that this is not the only event related to occupied Cyprus and Formula 1. At the 2006 Turkish GP in Istanbul, race organizers requested a last-minute honor for winner Felipe Massa on the podium, then pseudo-leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
This move by Turkey, which aimed to contribute to the country’s efforts De facto recognition of the pseudo-state of Northern Cyprus, has been penalized by the FIA $5 million fine – the highest ever imposed on Formula 1.
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.