Lewis Hamilton ‘forever grateful’ to Ferrari F1 legend for supporting him through race weekends

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Lewis Hamilton is keenly aware that some legendary Formula 1 drivers have failed to end Ferrari’s title drought. Kimi Raikkonen, who triumphed in Hamilton’s rookie year (2007), remains their most recent champion.

In 2010, Raikkonen was replaced at Maranello by Fernando Alonso. Alonso led the standings going into the finale in Abu Dhabi, but lost out to Sebastian Vettel, who also broke Ferrari hearts at the 2012 finale.

When Alonso left at the end of 2014, it was the ex-Red Bull star who succeeded him. He didn’t get quite as close to the championship trophy but was a legitimate contender in 2017 and 2018, when Vettel was distraught as Hamilton sealed the title in Mexico.

Ferrari lost hope in Vettel and turned to Charles Leclerc, who was runner-up to Max Verstappen in 2022 but has largely had to settle for occasional victories. Hamilton believes he can succeed where his fellow superstars failed.

Lewis Hamilton details ‘amazing relationship’ with Sebastian Vettel

In an interview with ESPN at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Hamilton spoke about Vettel with great fondness. He says they share the same view of a Formula 1 driver’s social responsibilities.

Hamilton has previously called Vettel the ‘best world champion’ he knows, and he reiterated that statement here.

Vettel retired at the end of 2022 but the two drivers ‘stay in touch’. Indeed, Hamilton revealed that he regularly receives supportive messages from his former rival during race weekends.

“I have an amazing relationship with Sebastian,” he said. “For me, out of all the drivers I’ve come across in my career, he, for me, is the most all-round driver.

• READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton makes ‘amazing’ Sebastian Vettel comparison when asked why he’s so invested in Ferrari’s 2026 ambitions

“And when I talk about an all-round driver, I mean as a human being, someone that has empathy, someone that’s super competitive, but understands that there’s a much bigger picture than just us. There’s no ‘me, me, me’ with him, it’s about bringing people together.

“I love that he’s utilising his platform. He stood by me through quite an intense time, and he’s doing great things today.

“We stay in touch. He supports me through my weekends, he sends me texts. I’m forever grateful for the relationship we have.”

Lewis Hamilton has made the same realisation as Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari

Vettel won 14 Grands Prix for Ferrari, which puts him third on the team’s all-time list behind Michael Schumacher (72) and Niki Lauda (15). By contrast, Hamilton still hasn’t scored a podium for his new team.

Hamilton is grappling with ‘internal politics’ at Ferrari, just as Vettel did after his arrival 10 years ago. Both drivers expected to have more influence given what they’ve achieved.

Indeed, David Croft believes Ferrari aren’t ‘listening’ to Hamilton behind the scenes. Some feel that the team’s reluctance to embrace change is one of the reasons they’ve underachieved for so long.