'Being at the top is what you strive for' - Sebastian Vettel doubts whether Lewis Hamilton is 'fired up' for F1
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Published 09/06/2022 at 14:10 GMT
It has also been a frustrating campaign for Sebastian Vettel, who is down in 15th and only scored five points so far after finishing 12th last season. It is a dramatic fall from grace for the German, whose last Grand Prix victory was nearly three years ago. His tally of 53 race wins leaves him behind only Hamilton and Michael Schumacher in the all-time list.
Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton
Image credit: Getty Images
Sebastian Vettel has doubted Lewis Hamilton’s current excitement for Formula 1 due to the seven-time world champion’s downturn in form.
Hamilton sits sixth in the Drivers’ Standings with 50 points, 75 adrift of leader Max Verstappen in an underwhelming start to the campaign, following finishing third, 10th, fourth, 13th, sixth, fifth and eighth-place finishes in the opening seven races.
"When you get to know the sport in the way I have done, and Lewis has done, winning and being at the top is what you strive for," Vettel said.
"Does it excite you to finish eighth, or 12th or 13th? No, it doesn't, when you know you have been first so many times - and in Lewis' case more than any other guy.
"George [Russell] comes in. He spent three years at Williams suffering to death at the rear of the field, scoring the odd point, and then suddenly he is eighth or 12th and life for him is amazing.
"Everybody is different, but you need to be fair from the outside and say, look, is Lewis naturally going to be as fired up about finishing eighth as George probably is? No, and I would be surprised if he was."
It has also been a frustrating campaign for Vettel, who is down in 15th and only scored five points so far after finishing 12th last season.
It is a dramatic fall from grace for the German, whose last Grand Prix victory was nearly three years ago.
His tally of 53 race wins leaves him behind only Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, with his future depending on whether or not Aston Martin can make rapid improvements.
"I have done motor racing for my whole life and it gives you security, in terms of the schedule being made by other people.
"I don't know what life after Formula One looks like and I don't think any sportsperson knows what the next life looks like. You can have certain things lined up but you don't know and that is the truth.
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Sebastian Vettel
Image credit: Getty Images
"I don't expect to find something tomorrow which I am really good at because I have found something in my life that I am really good at and it is hard to find that again. How many times can you win the lottery?
"I enjoy driving the car but there are other things I don't like. After so many years the usual stuff comes up that you don't understand at the beginning, like the travel. It is very time consuming and I have kids at home and a family so it equals time away from them.
"The future depends on this year and the races that I have coming up. I have not decided yet. The summer is the usual time when you start to talk so we will see."
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