Luisa Neubauer is a climate activist and co-organizer of Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future initiative in Germany.

The 25-year-old Neubauer is not only committed to the climate, she also promotes intergenerational justice and supports the fight against poverty.

Sebastian Vettel is a four-time world champion in Formula 1. The 34-year-old has been driving for Aston Martin since 2021.

At the race in Saudi Arabia at the weekend, he will be absent due to a corona infection, like at the start of the season in Bahrain a week ago.

He has previously commented on environmental protection, sustainability and political issues.

Anno Hecker

Responsible editor for sports.

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You recently spoke in a joint podcast about the purpose of a speed limit.

How do you experience the debate about a fuel price brake now?

Luisa Neubauer:

You don't have to explain to anyone how shocking the situation is and how speechless it is about what is happening right now.

I'm part of a generation that was told there was no more war in Europe.

It's a shocking situation.

It's also oppressive in a different way how some people deal with it.

I find it strange and unrealistic that a measure such as a speed limit, which makes sense from a content and ecological point of view and now also from the logic of war, is not being implemented.

Sebastian Vettel

:

Talking about the prices at the pump completely misses the point.

In 2022, I would no longer have expected another country to be attacked with soldiers and tanks.

This is absolutely shocking.

The fact that the rise in petrol and diesel prices is the topic of the day for us misses the actual problem.

For me it's about what can be done to put an end to the war, to end the suffering of the people.

Solidarity also means taking part, not just taking to the streets.

If that means temporarily paying higher prices at the pump, then so be it.

This cannot be offset by the situation in which millions of people find themselves in the war in Ukraine.

They both called for a ban on Russian oil, gas and coal imports.

The federal government is now entering into new partnerships in Qatar as well.

Is this in accordance with your wishes?

Neubauer:

The moment you want to get away from Russian gas and turn to Qatar, we are faced with the question of the system.

In both cases, one deals with opponents of democracy and further fuels the ecological catastrophe.

The answer must be a fair energy transition, as quickly as possible.

The fact that funny detours are now being taken to disempower Putin is perhaps part of it at this moment.

But above all, we have to get away from all these systems with all our might, so that we don't have to support autocrats and dictators at all by buying their fossil fuels.

We must become independent.

New energies are freedom energies, they are the most peaceful and democratic thing we have.

Vettel:

They say you should learn from mistakes.

Escape to the next dependency is the wrong thing.

As a society, we must do everything we can to become independent in order to be able to continue to enjoy this freedom that we are so attached to.

Maybe there is a bit of the athlete in me and the ambition.

We're doing something no one has done before and becoming self-sufficient in energy supply in a timeframe no one thought possible.

Because we're going to just do it now.