Hamilton added, though, that he felt Vettel would be a worthy champion if he
was to prevail this season and claim his third straight crown.
“I think he’s a true champion,” Hamilton said. “He’s polite, he’s never in
trouble, he’s squeaky clean and a genuinely nice guy. He speaks incredibly
well and carries himself really well. And at the end of the day you have to
do the job even if you do have the best car.”
“He qualifies really well, he pulls out fantastic gaps. But when your car is
that far ahead it’s easier to do that.”
Vettel and Hamilton dominated practice yesterday, with the Briton going
fastest in the first session before the German bounced back under the
floodlights.
Ferrari, who broke curfew on Thursday night to bolt upgrades on their car,
appear to be some way off the pace of the front-runners with Alonso and
Felipe Massa seventh and eighth quickest respectively.
Marussia’s test driver Max Chilton, meanwhile, said he “couldn’t wipe the
smile” off his face after completing his first practice session at the wheel
of a Formula
One car.
The 21 year-old from Reigate finished 22nd on the time sheet in FP1, 5.6sec
behind pacesetter Lewis Hamilton, but just a second off team-mate Timo
Glock.