Vettel told Hamilton he ‘deserves all his success’ in post-race chat

2019 F1 season

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Sebastian Vettel has revealed what he told Lewis Hamilton before the podium ceremony at the United States Grand Prix yesterday.

The Ferrari driver visited his rival in the cool-down after yesterday’s race, where Hamilton won the world championship for the sixth time.

Asked about the conversation between the pair Vettel told journalists: “Now is the time for you to write as many good things as you can.

“I think if somebody wins the title six times, then he deserves all of it. So that’s what I told him as well.”

Vettel, who fell to fifth in the championship after retiring on lap eight at the Circuit of the Americas, admitted he is disappointed at not being able to fight Hamilton harder for the title this year.

“Obviously, I’m happy for him, I’m not happy that we are not in contention this year, that we were so far back,” he said. “But I think you need to respect what he achieved the last years and also this year and together with his team how strong they’ve been.”

Vettel’s team mate Charles Leclerc also praised Hamilton’s achievement.

“On my side, I didn’t even win won one world title, which [just] one title,” he said. “He’s obviously already done a huge achievement. To win six is just incredible.

“I think he deserves it. He has done an incredible season. I grew up watching him on the TV and, yeah, just a huge congratulations to him.”

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14 comments on “Vettel told Hamilton he ‘deserves all his success’ in post-race chat”

  1. I have really enjoyed Vettel and Hamilton respecting each other more these last 3 seasons.
    It is heartwarming.

    Before that, I don’t think Hamilton respected Vettel very much. Maybe he was right. But I prefer the place those two are in now.

    And I still hope that they can have another season head to head for the title, with Vettel getting back to his best. It really doesn’t look likely, which is a pitty.

    1. @magon4 Might see that side of Hamilton again, should Vettel start being the guy to beat next season.

    2. @magon4 Vettel is at his best. This is what it is. Ricciardo showed that already in 2014, The fails of 2017 and 2018 showed that and Leclerc is showing it again.

      To be honest 2009 he also showed it by crashing out 3 times in the first 7 races. Even when he was in the dominant car Vettel would throw away masses of points throughout the season.

      1. @f1osaurus that can’t be taken very seriously, can it? Even on this site, he has won driver of the year many times. You have to differenciate.
        The Red Bull was never as dominant as Mercedes from 2014-2016, not even close. So you have to give him some credit.
        2014 was the first time, up to now, that Seb failed to beat his team mate – and it made sense at the time. He kicked back and had a great 2015.
        So, no, he isn’t as bad as you make him sound.

        1. @magon4 Yes because he had the fastest car an ultimately won. Even more because he was much faster than his team mate. Which only later was shown to have meant nothing at all.

          Just like Raikkonen and Massa were once seen as great drivers until they got paired up with Alonso and were completely annihilated.

          Nothing of what I said was incorrect. That people still voted him a few times as be driver of the year just shows what nonsense these votes are. Plus Keith has a dislike for Hamilton which works his way into the rankings. He even pretended Kubica was driver of the year at some point. I mean come on!

          I don’t have to give Vettel some credit either. He blunders away at least 3 to 5 races almost every season. In 2018 even 8 or 9 races. Then I’m not talking about a slightly off weekend.

          it doesn’t matter that much if the cars is 3 tenths or 3 seconds faster than everything else. Start form pole in a faster car and the win is a given (unless the driver blunders). In fact Vettel never had a team mate that was allowed to oppose him so his domination was enjoyed only by him. Which makes the domination a lot greater really. On the other hand, Mercedes keeps both drivers competing constantly.

          1. well, agree to disagree.

    3. Hamilton is only acting like he respects vettel because he doesn’t want to be remembered as a driver who had no competition. He props up vettel to serve his own legacy.

      1. Maybe, maybe not. To be fair, Vettel is Hamiltons biggest rival (certainly on paper). It’s a stretch to even project this type of thinking on Hamilton.

        The question is, why does it matter to you?

  2. Its was one of those occasions where he earns respects of fans.

  3. Good on you Vettel.

  4. Sonny Crockett
    4th November 2019, 17:30

    It’s easy for Vettel to be nice when he’s being so soundly beaten by Hamilton.

    Similarly, it’s easy for Hamilton to be nice when he’s so far ahead of Vettel.

    Let’s see how they both behave if/when they are more evenly matched…

    1. you mean like in 2017 and 2018 when Vettel did have a superior car and still threw title down the drain. this team never delivered to Alonso a car that good and still Alonso dragged his taxi to within handful of points of title winner.

  5. I remember the first time Hamilton won with Mercedes, and Alonso went so far out of his way to hug and congratulate him.

    Classy moves by Seb and Fernando.

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