Lewis Hamilton’s heartfelt tribute to Sebastian Vettel before Mexico GP: "He stood by me"

Ahead of the Mexican GP, Lewis Hamilton hailed Sebastian Vettel as the most all-round driver and praised his continued support

Lewis Hamilton has called four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel the "most all-round driver" he's known as he spoke about the pair's ongoing relationship. Speaking ahead of the Mexico Grand Prix, Hamilton described his "amazing relationship" with his former rival-turned-friend.

In conversation with ESPN, the seven-time champion was complimentary of the German.

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

"And when I talk about an all-round driver, I mean as a human being, you know? Someone that has empathy. Someone that understands, that's super, super competitive. But [can] put that aside. He understands people. He understands that there's a much bigger picture than just us. And there's no 'me, me, me' with him. It's about bringing people together. And I love that he's utilising his platform."

Since retiring from F1, Vettel has focused on environmental and social initiatives. He launched the Buzzin' Corner in Suzuka in 2023, where he helped build 11 insect hotels to raise awareness around biodiversity. He has also continued to push for the use of sustainable, carbon-neutral fuels in motorsport, which he used himself during his Goodwood Festival of Speed runs in the same year.

"He stood by me through quite an intense time," the Ferrari driver continued. "And he's doing great things today. And he's got a beautiful family. And we stay in touch. And he supports me through my weekends. He sends me texts. And yeah, I'm forever grateful for the relationship."

Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, the other drivers stand on the grid prior to the start

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The two were championship rivals at the peak of Mercedes' competition with Ferrari in 2017 and 2018. They were fiercely competitive but always maintained respect for each other. Vettel consistently shared in Hamilton's fight against racism and inequality with them both taking the knee ahead of races, something that made the Briton "incredibly proud."

"I've been incredibly proud of Sebastian for doing him," Hamilton said in 2021. "He's discovered things that he's passionate about and speaking about them, and he's not shying away from it.

"With the older generation, when we get to our age, we have more empathy. He's got a family, he's thinking about the future of his kids and the planet.

"He's obviously trying to be a beacon of light for those kids and for the kids that support him. We speak often, and we talk on these topics."