Politics ’more important’ than F1 - Vettel

Political issues have become "more important" than Formula 1.

That is the view of Sebastian Vettel, who is becoming just as well known for his environmental, social, pro-LGBT and anti-war messaging than he is for racing an Aston Martin.

In Baku, new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem backtracked after suggesting drivers were becoming too vocal about political issues.

"All of this is a testament to how diverse our world has become, with numerous issues that need to be tackled," he had said. "But it’s also about not imposing your worldview on others and putting it above sport."

The 34-year-old admits that he and fellow political campaigner Lewis Hamilton "agree on many things".

"These issues are more important than us - more important than sport," Vettel said.

"We should continue to draw attention to them and show the people that there are many things that we can do better," he told Sky Deutschland.

And in an apparent reference to Ben Sulayem, the quadruple world champion continued: "I think there are people who are a bit behind in terms of their attitude.

"It is therefore good to continue to draw attention to this. I don’t have to endure things that aren’t right, and I won’t."