Lewis Hamilton will 'miss' Sebastian Vettel but remains hopeful of the German's return to F1 in some way or the other

Even though Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were rivals on track during their prime years, they gradually became good friends off the track. F1 fans across the globe adore their friendship and the respect the two champions have for each other.

Following Sebastian Vettel's retirement after the 2022 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his relationship with the German and praised his personality. Though the four-time world champion was not the most liked person during his glory days, he gradually became a fan-favorite. The Briton also appreciated Vettel for standing up for several issues, something that is rare in the F1 community, according to Lewis.

Speaking in an interview with Channel 4, Lewis Hamilton said:

"I'm really grateful and really honoured actually to have the relationship that I do with with him. A man that really generally stands by his word, full of integrity, generally just very, very kind and humble, and full of humility. But also compassion, he's one of the only drivers that stands for something. I mean, what other driver has really truly stood for something other than themselves? That's something to be really admired in human beings. We're gonna miss him."

During the same interview, Hamilton felt that Sebastian Vettel would return to the sport in one way or another. He gave the example of Nico Hulkenberg, who will be replacing Mick Schumacher in the Haas F1 team for the 2023 F1 season. He said:

"I mean, Hulkenberg coming back! There is this whole build up but he'll be back in one in one way, shape or form."

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Toto Wolff confident about Lewis Hamilton's determination and his contract extension

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has a lot of work to do before the 2023 F1 season. One of the tasks is to extend Lewis Hamilton's contract, which expires at the end of the 2023 season. The seven-time world champion has been with the Silver Arrows for over 10 years now and is an integral part of the team.

Moreover, the veteran driver didn't show any signs of aging during the intense championship fight with Max Verstappen in the 2021 F1 season.

Hence, while speaking on Beyond The Grid podcast, Wolff praised Hamilton and was confident that he will continue beyond the 2023 F1 season. The Mercedes boss said:

"Lewis is part of the team and the team is part of Lewis, [so there is] no reason to not continue. I think one of his strengths is that he's always hungry. He's always eager. He is a great sportsman, but he's also someone that's extremely driven and determined."

Since the Silver Arrows struggled a lot during 2022, they will be working hard over the winter break to jump back in front and fight for wins and championships.