Sebastian Vettel paid tribute to Lewis Hamilton declaring him the “greatest of our era” after claiming his seventh Formula 1 title at the Turkish Grand Prix.
While the Briton would have been confirmed as champion regardless of his result on Sunday, Hamilton wrapped it up in style with a brilliant victory in difficult conditions at Istanbul Park.
And despite also claiming his first podium in over a year, Vettel was keen to put the spotlight on the man of the hour.
“He drove fantastically well,” he told Sky Sports. “In all fairness, it’s a good result for us but it’s his day if you make history like that. The first thoughts go to him really.
“It’s a massive achievement. I’m happy I can witness [it] first-hand.”
Vettel has admitted mixed feelings over watching Hamilton equal his hero Michael Schumacher as a seven-time world champion.
But in parc ferme, he was the first to congratulate the 35-year-old as the pair, with a combined 11 F1 titles, shared a moment together.
“I told him it’s very special for us because we can witness history being made today. I think he is greatest of our era for sure,” he revealed.
“I think it’s always difficult to compare… how can you possibly compare Fangio, Stirling Moss to our generation? You can’t.
“Maybe we would be useless because we would all be s***ing ourselves in those cars. Maybe they would be useless in our cars because they’re way too fast. Who knows? But it doesn’t matter, I think every era has its driver or its drivers and Lewis is certainly the greatest of our era.
“To me, certainly emotionally, Michael will always be the most… the greatest driver but there’s no doubt that Lewis is the greatest in terms of what he has achieved. He’s equalled the championships, he’s won more races, he has a lot more pole positions so I think he’s done everything you can ask for. I think today is the best proof.”
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Also praising Hamilton for his record-equalling achievement, Max Verstappen added: “It was pretty obvious of course that he was going to win it, but it’s incredible.
“A very strong driver, of course also today, and he’s I guess now the greatest driver in Formula 1 in terms of stats.
“A great result for the whole team as well, they have been so dominant. They definitely deserve it.”
The last man other than Hamilton to win a world championship was Nico Rosberg back in 2016, and the former Mercedes driver sent this tweet post-race…
7 x World Champion – that’s insane! Massively deserved. Surely one of the greatest achievements in the history of sports. Congratulations Lewis and enjoy the celebrations with your family and friends. #TurkishGP #F1
— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) November 15, 2020