Sebastian Vettel is one of the most adored drivers in the Formula 1 world, so it was expected that the four-time world champion would be given a huge send off by his fellow drivers, ahead of the final race of his career in Abu Dhabi.
What was not expected however was that Lewis Hamilton would organise and pay for the entirety of the dinner, which he has now confirmed he had discussed as early as the Mexican Grand Prix.
“I thought it was really important, so that’s why I asked in Mexico whether they would all be open to doing a dinner to give Seb a farewell,” explained the seven-time world champion.
“We haven’t had a dinner since years ago in China.”
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Vettel will be retiring at the end of the season despite pleas from fans for the German to reconsider his decision, after a flurry of ‘Driver of the Day’ performances lately.
Hamilton used to share a fierce rivalry with Vettel, as the pair fought for world championships while the German drove for Red Bull and Ferrari, however the Brit has revealed that he has developed an unexpected relationship with Vettel in recent years.
The 37-year-old has told the media that it meant a lot to him in 2020 when Vettel made the decision to take the knee with him, in the heat of the Black Lives Matter campaign, suggesting that he will do anything to help anyone, such is the character of the Aston Martin driver.
Lando Norris has said that the dinner that Hamilton arranged has made the drivers even closer, as he does not believe that they have the opportunity to move away from the race track too often.
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“You kind of grow up in the world of motorsport, you’re not forced to not like each other, but you don’t grow up to like each other. You’re always seeing them as enemies more than anything,” he told reporters.
“So for the first time, it’s actually quite a different feeling sitting there actually talking to everyone completely away from a race track and away from racing. So it’s nice. I spoke to some people I’ve almost never spoken to before.”
It has been suggested that by Nico Rosberg that the reigning world champion often pays for group dinners, and with that being Max Verstappen it suggests that Hamilton’s kind gesture was out of his admiration for Vettel, rather than because of some unwritten rule.