14 Years Ago, Sebastian Vettel Skipped Alongside Lewis Hamilton to Spark Beloved F1 Friendship

Two icons of the sport, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, have given us some feisty battles over the year. Moreover, the pair have also shown people that two rivals can also respect each other and be good friends.

motorsport photographer Darren Heath mentioned in an excerpt how Vettel and Hamilton first became friends.

The photographer shares how Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were in a room full of strangers for the driver’s parade. Furthermore, Darren remembers how David Coulthard, Sebastien Bourdais, Jenson Button, and Mark Webber first appeared in the room. They were sporting the ‘Make Cars Green’ wristband.

There were several similar groups of drivers talking. However, Heath remembers how the loudest group usually consisted of Fernando Alonso, Robert Kubica, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Jarno Trulli. Among them, he remembers how two young rookies felt the comfort in each other’s presence.

Heath wrote, “Raikkonen will chat with Kovalainen, while Massa, Barrichello, and Piquet share a laugh. Vettel, like an enthusiastic puppy, flits from group to group. As the noise levels rise in walks Hamilton, often on his own with phone pressed hard to his ear he stands separate from the rest.”

He further continued, “As they all file past, trying to look cool with eyes straight ahead, conversation has dried up, thoughts turning to the forthcoming race. Lewis, phone call now finished, has found a friend.”

He concluded by saying, “But as the ever-smiling Toro Rosso driver [Vettel] skips along at his side Lewis seems keen to escape back to the calm of his team.”

Close friend Sebastian Vettel never let Lewis Hamilton feel ‘lonely’ in Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton has revealed how Sebastian Vettel never made him feel “lonely” in Formula 1. The German is loved for his warm and mischievous nature. The Mercedes driver also added how Sebastian “stood by me through a lot of things” in his career.

Lewis said, “I’ve not had a lot of time to think about all of the journey we’ve gone through together but when I talk about the journey I’ve experienced in this sport and often feeling that it’s been lonely, I would say he’s one of the few people who have made it feel not lonely.”

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“He’s stood by me through a lot of things.”

Hamilton further said, “But then seeing his success and seeing he puts others before himself, he’s been so brave in speaking out and standing up for what he believes in.”

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11 World Championships, 156 race wins, 310 podiums. These are Hamilton and Vettel’s stats combined together. They speak for themselves and it’ll be hard to witness something of the sort again.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are both champions in their own form. As Seb retires at the end of this season, F1 will lose a legend while Lewis Hamilton will say goodbye to a dear friend.