Lewis Hamilton “forever grateful” for close relationship with legendary F1 driver
“We stay in touch. He supports me through my weekends, he sends me texts. I’m forever grateful for the relationship we have.”
Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his “amazing relationship” with four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton and Vettel were fierce rivals during their time in F1, particularly in 2017 and 2018, when they went head-to-head for the title - Hamilton at Mercedes, Vettel at Ferrari.
Hamilton emerged victorious on both occasions.
As Vettel’s form declined in his latter years, his relationship with Hamilton blossomed.
The pair became vocal on a range of issues, sharing similar opinions on climate change, racism, and other societal matters.
Speaking ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Hamilton revealed he’s still “in touch” with Vettel.
“I have an amazing relationship with Sebastian,” Hamilton said. “For me, out of all the drivers I’ve come across in my career, he, for me, is the most all-round driver.
“And when I talk about an all-round driver, I mean as a human being, someone that has empathy, someone that’s super competitive, but understands that there’s a much bigger picture than just us.
“There’s no ‘me, me, me’ with him, it’s about bringing people together.
“I love that he’s utilising his platform. He stood by me through quite an intense time, and he’s doing great things today.
“We stay in touch. He supports me through my weekends, he sends me texts. I’m forever grateful for the relationship we have.”
Hamilton seeks advice from Vettel
Unsurprisingly, Hamilton is facing challenges similar to those Vettel experienced during his Ferrari tenure.
Hamilton is pushing for changes behind the scenes to turn the team back into a title-winning force.
Vettel was unable to make a significant impact, despite delivering strong seasons in 2015 and 2017.
Earlier this year, Hamilton hinted he would speak to Vettel for advice amid a difficult first season at Ferrari.
“Honestly, I have spoken with neither one nor the other. I don’t speak much with Fernando. Seb, he has been of great support; he has really been incredible, and a very good friend over the years,” he said earlier this year.
“I intended to talk to Seb during this break. I think I will do it soon. I didn’t call him this year because I am not often on my phone.
“I didn’t want to bother him, and before, I didn’t want to talk to him because I didn’t want to have preconceived ideas. With six to eight months of experience, I have a good idea of the situation, so I will probably soon talk with him.”
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