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SAKHIR – Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel had a Ukraine flag emblazoned on his helmet in pre-season testing in Bahrain yesterday as Formula One suspended its coverage in Russia in protest at the invasion of Ukraine.
The 34-year-old German had spoken out forcefully when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion on February 24, declaring he would refuse to drive in the Russian Grand Prix.
The September 25 race was quickly cancelled and a week later Formula One terminated their contract declaring there would be no further grand prix in Russia.
In fresh sanctions, F1 turned the lights out on its Russian coverage altogether by suspending its contract with Match TV and blocking access to its in-house F1TV channel, a source confirmed to AFP.
Vettel’s helmet bore not only the Ukrainian flag but also a dove – the symbol of peace – with the words “Peace and Love”, “No war”, and the words to John Lennon's song “Imagine”.
The Aston Martin driver had also joined 17 of his rival drivers – the exceptions being seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen, who has replaced the sacked Russian driver Nikita Mazepin – to pose behind a Ukrainian flag and a banner bearing the phrase “No war”.
Haas terminated both Mazepin’s contract and that of Russian title sponsor Uralkali – the company of which Mazepin’s father Dmitry is an executive director – last Saturday.
Hamilton, who for two years now has taken the knee prior to races in an anti-racism protest, had posted an Instagram message of support for the “courageous Ukrainian people” and called for donors to support British NGOs.
Pre-season testing runs from yesterday to tomorrow in Bahrain where the 2022 season opens on March 20. – AFP, March 11, 2022