Lewis Hamilton was spotted sitting across the table from Red Bull rival Max Verstappen after organizing a 20-man meal to send off retiring F1 icon Sebastian Vettel. All 20 drivers on the 2021 roster were present in a series of wholesome group photos as Vettel prepares to wave goodbye to the F1 grid.
Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will mark the end of the season and the conclusion of Vettel’s illustrious career. Despite Verstappen’s dominance helping him run away with the Drivers’ Championship and Red Bull with the Constructors’ Championship, there is still plenty to race for in the curtain-closer.
However, tensions ahead of the weekend’s racing didn’t stop all 20 drivers from gathering on Thursday night for a meal to celebrate Vettel’s retirement. And in images of them sitting at the table, Hamilton appears to be positioned directly across the way from his fierce 2021 title foe.
The Brit, who is far from done in F1 and is expected to pen a new Mercedes contract soon, took to Instagram after the meal to share images of the group together and with just him and Vettel. He described the event as a ‘night he would never forget’ in his heartfelt caption.
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It read: “We’ve come a long way as drivers and continue to grow as men. Regardless of what may happen on the track we grow and become better each day. Us all coming together to celebrate life and Seb’s amazing career in F1 is truly a night I’ll never forget.”
Hamilton and Vettel share 11 F1 World Championships between them, and the believe formers the retiring German still has plenty to offer on the track. However, during an event organized by Petronas in Sao Paulo, he wished Vettel well and backed him to achieve greatness outside of F1.
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“It will be sad to see him go because I think there is still a lot of potential in him, although I know he will do amazing things out there, and we will always be in touch. I was lucky enough to meet his family, and we will stay in touch, understanding our goals and seeing how one can help the other,” Hamilton explained.
You can expect to see Vettel, and potentially also Hamilton, performing donuts on the track after Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It would provide fans with one last memory of what has been an iconic 15-year F1 career.
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