In recent years, veganism has spread like wildfire around the world, with a handful of athletes pushing themselves to adopt a vegan diet. A large unit in the world of motorsport that eats vegan is 7-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
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Not only Hamilton, but also his four-legged companion Roscoe are vegan. So some might wonder if the Briton is the only F1 driver to follow a vegan diet. Or are there other drivers who do not consume animal products?
Lewis Hamilton had company for 6 weeks.
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There was another driver who was experimenting with veganism – Sebastian Vettel. In an interview in 2019, the German announced that he had been vegan for six weeks in 2018.
Sebastian Vettel from Germany and Aston Martin hug Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas in Parc Ferme after the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1 / Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“It took me about six weeks and I learned a lot from it. I have studied the subject a lot and there is no such thing as a proper diet. Everyone is different, everyone reacts differently, ”he said. “But I now eat less meat and pay more attention to the quality of the products, which is relatively easy in Switzerland. There are now more vegetables on my plate. “
From 2021, Vettel will no longer be vegan. Though Hamilton continues to be the only driver on the diet. In addition, several F1 drivers including Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Romain Grosjean have contradicted Hamilton’s claim that a vegan diet would be environmentally beneficial.
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Why did Hamilton become a vegan?
As early as 2017, the Mercedes driver revealed that even the production of a cow can lead to greenhouse gas emissions, as he realized. He decided to stay away from meat and all dairy products.
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After successfully becoming vegan, he continued to urge followers to stick to his diet. He advises on how to manage the transition.
ZANDVOORT, THE NETHERLANDS – SEPTEMBER 04: Second placed Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain and Mercedes GP looks on at Parc Ferme during qualifying before the F1 Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on September 04, 2021 in Zandvoort, the Netherlands. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1 / Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“Don’t be so tough,” he told Men’s Health. “You just have to cut things down: stop eating chocolate, stop eating dairy, and then slowly stop eating meat and stop eating fish. Go pescatarian for a while. I did that … and I don’t miss anything. “
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The bottom line is that Hamilton is actually the only Formula 1 driver who is vegan. But how long will this lonely journey last for the 7-time world champion? Will more drivers be aiming for a similar diet in the years to come?
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