Lewis Hamilton has backed perennial Formula 1 rival Sebastian Vettel to bounce back from his recent string of errors and subdued results.
Between them Hamilton and Vettel have won all bar one title in the 2010s, and fought for the championship in 2017 and 2018, with Hamilton prevailing on both occasions.
Vettel’s challenges in both years were hampered by him making more high-profile mistakes compared to Hamilton, with the setbacks most pronounced through the second half of 2018.
Vettel has won just once in the last 12 months – during which period he has made mistakes that has affected his result at seven grands prix – while in the same phase Hamilton has triumphed 15 times.
The latest of Vettel’s errors came at last weekend’s British Grand Prix, in which he received a 10-second time penalty for crashing into the back of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
“I loved competing against Ferrari last year,” said Hamilton.
“I wish the battle [at Silverstone] was with the Ferraris.
“It’s different when you’re racing within a team and I’ve always told you guys that I much much prefer it when you’re racing with the Red Bulls and the Ferraris, but currently that’s not how it is.
“But I absolutely believe he’ll rebound, you look at the greats, and he is one of those.
“He’s had a difficult race but he’s a four-time World Champion, he will recover, he will come back stronger the next race, and that’s what great athletes do.”
Vettel, fourth in the championship, trails Hamilton in the standings by 100 points.
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