Lewis Hamilton has described Sebastian Vettel as being ‘in contrast to any driver’ from F1 previous or current after the German introduced his retirement from the game.
The 2 drivers joined the grid full-time inside half a yr of each other and till just lately have been fierce rivals on the monitor.
However as the gap separating the pair on the grid has grown, extra frequent floor has been found with Hamilton describing the four-time champion as a ‘highly effective ally’ in his battle in opposition to racism and social injustice.
Vettel has backed quite a few environmental causes this yr, together with carrying a shirt in Miami warning of the occasion could be the “first underwater grand prix” if local weather change will not be addressed now.
“Over time, we now have began to see each other taking these courageous steps and standing out for issues that we consider in and have been in a position to help one another,” mentioned Hamilton.
“He has been so supportive to me and I wish to assume I’ve supported him additionally and have come to grasp that we now have much more in frequent than simply the driving ardour.
“So it’s actually me and him which were stepping out into the uncomfortable mild and making an attempt to do one thing with the platform that we now have.
“And that’s for me why he’s very a lot in contrast to any of the drivers which were right here previous and current.”
Vettel a “nice all-round competitor”
Vettel completed within the high 5 of the drivers’ championship for 11 consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2019 however has since failed to put within the high 10.
Requested how the pair’s relationship has developed through the years, Hamilton mentioned: “The racing a part of issues, he was simply extremely fast.
“He was very, very clever, an excellent engineer, I feel, and simply very, very exact on monitor.
“He was only a nice all-around competitor, particularly reasonable but in addition very robust and agency on monitor.
“He has by no means been somebody accountable different folks for errors, he would all the time put his hand up and say it was his fault which I all the time thought was honourable.
“Naturally, if you end up targeted on successful championships and stuff, once we have been youthful, we didn’t have time to cease and speak about what we do in our personal private lives and the issues that we cared about.”