Hamilton says Respect for Vettel has Increased

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted that his respect for rival Sebastian Vettel has grown. This is a far cry from the time that the 2 pair clashed last year. The infamous Baku 2017 clash threatened to drive a wedge between the two’s professional rivalry.

On that fateful day, Vettel suffered a ‘loss of composure’ and bumped into Hamilton’s side. This incident occurred while they were preparing for a Safety Car restart. The Ferrari driver was not apologetic in the immediate aftermath of the race. But he later owned up to the incident after and FIA summoning.

With the red mist still floating around, Hamilton labelled Vettel’s actions as “disgusting”. But now, he says that the respect between the two has been fully restored.

“I think it’s good to see fire in the people who are competing,” Hamilton said. “And it’s also good to see that we’re not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes, but it’s more how people handle it and how they progress is what you can really learn from.

“He’s progressed as a champion as he is. How he presents himself, how he speaks, he continues to grow and the words that he uses today. I think the respect has grown, actually, a considerable amount since then and I’m sure it will continue.”

This year Max Verstappen’s on-track antics have drawn a lot of criticism from drivers and experts alike. What hasn’t helped his case is a series of spins and accidents at the opening three races. Verstappen got too handsy with Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix on the second lap. He then threw away a potential victory at the Chinese Grand Prix with an overoptimistic move around the outside of Hamilton at Turn 7.

Lewis said. “I had already learnt about Max’s driving style. It’s just different. All our driving styles are different for every single driver.

“I’ve already known since the first time I raced him. How you approach him is not defined by a couple of races in four seasons. I’m aware of the risks he is willing to take, which are great, and which make him also the great driver he is.

“I approach it the same as I did in the last race and I had done in the past 10 races at least.”