F1 news: Lewis Hamilton compares himself to Usain Bolt when asked about Sebastian Vettel
F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton has compared himself to Usain Bolt when asked about rival Sebastian Vettel.
Rosberg says Hamilton ‘loses motivation when world champion’
Hamilton won the F1 Drivers’ Championship for the fourth time in his career last month, smashing the British record previously held by Sir Jackie Stewart.
The 32-year-old scooped the prize ahead of Ferrari’s Vettel, while the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen were also unable to gazump him.
Lewis Hamilton and Vettel’s rivalry has been well-documented over the years with the duo fierce competitors on the track.
And the Brit has opened up on their relationship, but compared himself to athletics legend Bolt in the process.
"Of course," he told the BBC when asked if he has learned more about Vettel.
"I'm not going to tell you what I've learned but you can see it and I think you guys have learned about him.
"He shouldn't shy away from that. He will learn from the experiences, as we all do.
“I have had years like that. He has had years of complete solidity like (mine) this year as well. I imagine next year he's going to be coming back guns blazing.
"But I don't feel there's anything I can't achieve if I put the work in.
“How I strategise over these next months into next season…. When you watch Usain Bolt out of the start blocks, he's just a little bit slower than the others. So he's just behind and then he creeps back.
"That's really how my season's been. When he backs off at the end; that's always the goal for anyone."
Hamilton will be aiming for a fifth F1 title next year.
Only Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio have won more, on seven and five respectively.