Lewis Hamilton has made his first week of work at Ferrari – including a first exit in Fiorano. In order to prepare for the Maranello mission as best as possible, the Formula 1 record champion apparently rang through his old buddy Sebastian Vettel.
As the “Corriere della Sera” reports, Hamilton practiced not only in the simulator before his first test in the SF-23 season 2023 last Wednesday on the Ferrari slope in Fiorano. The 40-year-old also called Sebastian Vettel to inquire about his new racing engineer Riccardo Adami.
Adami was Vettel’s “man in the ear” for many years. The German started in the racing king class for Ferrari from 2015 to 2020, won the Red 14 Grands Prix.
Vettel’s dream of winning the World Championship with Ferrari, like his idol Michael Schumacher, remained unfulfilled. In 2017 and 2018, he took second place in the driver’s ranking-behind Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes silver arrow.
Hamilton and Vettel: Formula 1 rivals became friends
A friendship developed between the once bitter rivals in the final phase of Vettel’s Formula 1 career. Vettel’s Hamilton’s concerns support more diversity in sports and society as well as its struggle against racism.
The Brit on the other side repeatedly commented on Vettel’s social engagement, including for nature conservation.
“He is the best world champion that I know because he is much more than a driver. He is someone with a real passion, is empathetic and he takes care of people,” said Hamilton in the course of his farewell to Mercedes about Vettel.
His long -time opponent on the route was the only driver next to him “who tried to use his platform for something good,” praised the Englishman.