"Every race has always been a gritty challenge": Lewis Hamilton picks the driver he most enjoyed competing against

Lewis Hamilton has picked Sebastian Vettel as the driver he enjoyed competing against the most. The Mercedes driver competed with the German for over a decade as the two were involved in two different dominant eras. While initially, the pair didn't get along, by the end of Vettel's career, both drivers were close friends.

In a conversation with Wall Street Italia, Hamilton was questioned on who he enjoyed racing against the most. The Brit named Vettel and said that it was always a gritty challenge racing against him.

“Sebastian Vettel. I’ve always enjoyed racing against him, every race has always been a gritty challenge,” he told WSI.

Hamilton was also asked what were some of the things he learned from his father at a very young age. The British driver, who has had his father guide him through the junior ranks, stated that one of the key things that he was taught was to never give up.

“He taught me three basic words: never give up. These are the words he repeated to me most often. Not to give up, to keep pushing, to continue to fight. When you're a kid and things seem too hard you'd just want to give up everything. My father, on the other hand, always spurred me on, telling me to stay focussed and move on. When I failed he told me to try again. His words became like a mantra,” Hamilton said.

Lewis Hamilton's rivalry with Sebastian Vettel over the years

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel first started trading blows in 2009 when McLaren and Red Bull had a competitive car. First, it was the German who dominated the sport from 2010 to 2013, then it was the British driver who held the advantage from 2014 onwards.

Vettel and Hamilton were part of a title battle in 2010 and 2012, where the former triumphed over the McLaren driver. When Hamilton was at Mercedes, the two battled it out in 2017 and 2018, and it was the Brit who came out on top.

Once Vettel's Ferrari stint was over, the two drivers did become better friends as the two elder statesmen talked about sustainability and what F1 needs to do in moving towards that and protecting the environment.

While Vettel retired in 2022, Hamilton will continue to be a part of the sport until 2025.