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Lewis Hamilton posted a special message to Sebastian Vettel on his social media honoring the four-time world champion in reaction to his retirement. Hamilton appreciated his company in the sport and expressed his honor to be the German champion’s friend.
Writing on his Twitter and Instagram handles, the Briton said:
“Seb, it’s been an honour to call you a competitor and an ever greater honour to call you my friend. Leaving this sport better than you found it is always the goal. I have no doubt that whatever comes next for you will be exciting, meaningful, and rewarding. Love you, man.”
As part of the same generation of F1 drivers, Lewis Hamilton took to leaving Sebastian Vettel a special note on his social media. Although the two fought championships hard, they became allies in the sport over the years when it came to activism or speaking out on social issues. The Briton wrote a heartfelt message as a friend wishing Vettel the best for his future endeavors as the German champion announced his retirement.
When Sebastian Vettel defended Lewis Hamilton in a press conference
At the 2018 F1 Bahrain GP, Sebastian Vettel intervened when Lewis Hamilton was questioned about his furious remark calling Max Verstappen a ‘di!#*head’ by a Dutch journalist. The Briton clashed with Verstappen in a race won by Vettel. The German champion intervened and jumped to Hamilton’s defense as he slammed the Dutch journalist for asking an unnecessary question.
Intervening amidst the press conference, the German champion said:
“Can I answer that? I think it’s not fair. I mean, I don’t know what Lewis did. We’ve all been in that situation, we fight someone, we go sometimes wheel-to-wheel, it’s close and you have a lot of adrenaline going. Do you think comparing to football, if you have a microphone on a football player’s mouth, that everything he says is something nice and is a nice message when the guy tackles him and maybe sometimes he fouls him or not?”
Further slamming the Dutch journalist, Vettel said:
“I don’t think it’s justified to give us these kind of s*** questions and making up a story out of nothing, if we are just racing and we are full of adrenaline and sometime we say these things. I mean, if I hit you in your face, you’re not going to say ‘oh, Sebastian, that wasn’t nice’. It’s a human reaction.”
The German driver fought Lewis Hamilton hard in 2017, 2018, and 2019 with their share of heated on-track battles. They both, however, share mutual admiration and respect off-track, which has translated into a strong bond in recent times.
