Rally legend Walter Röhrl harshly criticised Sebastian Vettel for his hypocrasy as a Formula 1 driver and environmental activist.

Röhrl doesn’t mince his words in an interview with Germany’s Sunday Newspaper, Bild am Sonntag. The rally legend has no sympathy for the Aston Martin driver, who flies around the world in Formula 1 and races, but regularly raises the issue of sustainability.

“I wondered a little bit what happened to him. But if I reflect after 15 years in motorsport and now think I’m an environmental sinner, then I have to stop, period. It’s a disaster like that,” the 75-year-old is quoted as saying.

Vettel told the BBC’s Question Time TV programme that his dual commitment meant he was “no saint”, but that he could not “control some things”.

“It’s my passion to drive a race car. Every time I get in a cockpit, I love it. But when I get out, of course I think to myself: should we really be doing this, travelling the world and wasting resources?”, the four-time F1 world champion said.

Röhrl, on the other hand, does not feel the same way, on the contrary:

“He can’t whine that he wants to do something for the environment and fly around the world with Formula 1 at the same time. That’s not possible. You have to live your life in accordance with that.”

The two-time World Rally Champion hopes that Vettel’s commitment to the environment will stay sensible:

“I’m happy if Sebastian finishes Formula 1 unscathed and healthy. I like him and, from my point of view, I hope he doesn’t abseil off motorway bridges, as Greenpeace keeps doing to paralyse public transport.”