
Four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has named seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton as the biggest rival in his last 15 years of F1 career, the German ace will be retired from the F1 at the end of season.
During his Ferrari era in 2015 to 2020, Vettel fought with Mercedes speedy Hamilton. Also, there was also some heated rivalry for the 2017 World Title. The duo battled for Pole and race victory in the many Grand Prix’s.
In an interview for F1 official website, he was asked to name who he thought was the biggest opponent of his F1 career. He said: “Lewis, especially when I was at Ferrari. Lewis has always been right up there. Before that, it was probably Fernando Alonso, when he was at Ferrari.”
“Fernando doesn’t need any advice. I’m not sure he’s taking any advice, but he doesn’t need it anyway. He’s been around for so long and seen so much – he’ll be fine,” added Vettel, who also pondered whether a better car would have kept him racing alongside Alonso (41) and Hamilton (37) for longer.
Asked if more aggressive car might have tempted him to extend his Formula 1 career, he said: “I don’t know. Would I be retiring if I had been very competitive over the last three or four years: winning races, fighting for championships – maybe winning another one?
“I might have come to the same decision. Equally, I might not have. It’s impossible to say, but it has crossed my mind.
“Finishing 10th doesn’t give me a buzz because I know how it feels to finish first. If you’ve never finished first, the first time you finish 10th you get a real buzz. But I’m happy that I don’t get a buzz from finishing 10th.”
The German added: “I still love the sport. I still love racing. The decision to retire was a tough one, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I know how much commitment this sport requires, and I feel like it’s a good time to do other things.”