Aston Martin F1's Sebastian Vettel Determined to Save the Planet, One Hot Dog Wrapper at a Time

Many professional athletes use their platform to promote change, whether it be inclusion, diversity, where your favorite basketball shoes are made, climate change, you name it.

Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel's cause is about as down to Earth as you can get. Vettel simply wants people to pick up after themselves. It not only helps the planet, it also helps out some of the folks who make big events like the U.S. Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, a great time —a perfect win-win situation.

Vettel even took a moment before Sunday's race in Austin to offer a friendly reminder to the fans.

"One thing I noticed, I think everybody's having fun today, but please don't litter," Vettel said during a TV interview ahead of the race. "I noticed there was a lot of stuff lying around coming to the track. And I know it's a big event, and you should have fun, but please do not litter. And get your stuff in the bin. It makes life a lot easier for all the people that have to clean up. so thanks for the respect, and enjoy your day."

Vettel has walked the walk this year, and he even put in a few hours helping the clean-up crews earlier this season after the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Vettel's words and actions are not lost on his Aston Martin team, either.

Aston Martin F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer says the team, and F1 as a whole, continues to take climate, sustainability and save-the-planet concerns seriously.

"One of our sponsors is BWT (a water treatment concern) and they do push sustainability and reducing plastics," Szafnauer told Autoweek in a recent zoom interview. "And we're building a new factory as well as a new wind tunnel. We're looking at making sure that the factory when it is built is carbon neutral. So, there are many things that we can do as a Formula 1 team.

"(Formula 1) has introduced E-10 fuel now, starting next year. So, Formula 1 in itself are working on sustainability initiatives. We applaud Sebastian in making people aware. He spent a few a few hours after the Silverstone Grand Prix picking up litter underneath the grandstand. He does that not for publicity reasons. He genuinely wants to help, and he spent hours picking up litter, which I think is great.

"I know that's a small thing, but the way he looks at it is 'If I can do it, and everybody does that, we'll be in a better place.' "