Sebastian Vettel has “fingers crossed” for Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari F1 title bid
“So naturally, my fingers are crossed for him to win the championship.”
Sebastian Vettel has backed Lewis Hamilton to have title success at Ferrari, revealing his “fingers are crossed for him to win the championship”.
Vettel bowed out of F1 at the end of 2022 after two lacklustre years with Aston Martin.
The German had been linked with a possible return to the sport with Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement before they decided on Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Despite being intense rivals, Vettel and Hamilton have maintained a close friendship.
Off the track, Vettel and Hamilton have been aligned on a range of issues from sustainability to diversity.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sportsworld programme, Vettel was asked about Hamilton’s move to Ferrari from Mercedes, a process he also went through when he left Red Bull at the end of 2014.
“Well, for me, it didn’t quite work because Lewis was there, so let’s see now how he will get on,” Vettel said.
“My fingers crossed. Obviously, I’ve raced him a long time. We get along really well and he’s by far the most outspoken driver on the grid at the minute. His on-track skills don’t need to be repeated.
“I think the numbers and statistics speak for themselves. But it’s great to see that he’s still on the grid and he still has that influence and uses it in a positive manner.
“So naturally, my fingers are crossed for him to win the championship.”
F1 title success alludes Vettel at Ferrari
After four consecutive titles at Red Bull, Vettel decided to make the switch to Ferrari for 2015.
Vettel won in Ferrari colours in his second race with the team, winning the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix.
The German would have to wait until 2017 to challenge Mercedes, which had dominated the start of the V6 hybrid era.
2017 was arguably Vettel’s best year at Ferrari, but poor reliability and a costly
Lap 1 incident in Singapore handed Hamilton the title.
Ferrari remained competitive in 2018 - but Vettel’s season was littered with errors.
Vettel crashed out in the lead of the 2018 German Grand Prix, giving Hamilton the win and initiative in the title race.
Ferrari struggled with their in-season development, allowing Hamilton to win his fifth world title.
Vettel would struggle against Charles Leclerc in 2019 and 2020 as he was ultimately forced out for Carlos Sainz.
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
