Sebastian Vettel was told he would be welcome to join Formula E after his F1 retirement.
This season will be the 35-year-old's last in the sport, having secure his status as one of the best drivers ever to grace it. Vettel is a four-time world champion and a winner of 53 races – only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher can claim to have a better record in history.
But Vettel feels it is time to call it a day, with his love for the natural world one of the many reasons behind his decision. He has spent much of the last few years being called a "hypocrite" by officials in response to his calls for them to do better on some environmental issues.
With that in mind, some have suggested he could join a series like Formula E. That way, he could continue to enjoy racing while being less worried about the impact he is having on the environment by doing so.
And former F1 racer Lucas di Grassi, who currently drives for ROKiT Venturi Racing, would be very happy to see that happen. "We raced together many times in Formula 3 especially and it would be amazing to have him race here," said the Brazilian.
"I think a lot of the sustainability talks in F1 are not really making any difference, like saying 'don't use fossil fuels' and then they're sponsored by Aramco. [Vettel] has become, in the last few years, conscious about the state of the world and what he can do to make it better and use his platform as a sportsman to try to make the world a better place.
"I think it is very noble of him, he could just do his racing and then stop and buy a boat and stay in the boat somewhere so I think it's very noble of him." Bu di Grassi knows a desire to spend more time with his family was a main driver behind Vettel's retirement decision, and so he is not expecting the German to sign up for more racing any time soon.
"It would be a pleasure to have him racing with us but I don't think it will happen," he admitted. "Formula E is a very difficult environment, although in Gen 3 everything starts from scratch so it would be the perfect time for someone to jump in and I'm sure he would be competitive.
"It just takes time, Formula E is a very special racing series and you don't have practice sessions or testing days so it takes time but it would be a pleasure to have him racing with us."
