Vettel admits hypocrisy after personal attack: 'I am a hypocrite [for] doing what I love'

Sebastian Vettel responded to scathing criticism from a Canadian politician by admitting he was a hypocrite for loving Formula 1.

Vettel drew criticism from Sonya Savage for his decision to wear a special helmet design at the Canadian Grand Prix to highlight the environmental impact of the country's oil sands mining.

While he freely admitted that he was a hypocrite for criticising the mining industry while being a racecar driver, he also said he was disappointed in Savage for resorting to personal attacks.

"I'm a little bit disappointed that politicians jump on a personal level because it's not about me, it's not at all about me, it's about the bigger picture," he said.

"Yes, I am a hypocrite doing what I do for a living or doing what I love. We all have different passions, this is the way I sort of paint my canvas.

"There are solutions for the future to make it more sustainable and not rely on fossil fuels, and the future, in that regard, looks exciting. I think it's disappointing that we break it down to a personal level and miss to look at the bigger picture.

"What's really important is the message that we need to make the switch and get out of fossil [fuels] and start to base our whole lifestyle on renewables. So I think that's the bigger picture stuff that I'm trying to address."