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Hamilton out-raced and out-drove Vettel in 2018

Hamilton "out-raced and out-drove" Vettel in 2018

20-11-2018 08:11
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Bobby Vincent

Williams driver Lance Stroll believes that Lewis Hamilton fully deserved his world champion crown this season after "out-racing and out-driving" his closest competitor, Sebastian Vettel.

The top spot was ever-changing in the first half of the campaign, with Ferrari posing a real threat to the dominant Mercedes. 

However, after the summer break, the consistency of Hamilton was unbelievable, allowing Mercedes to take the advantage in the constructors' as well as the drivers'.

Stroll, who looks set to switch to Force India soon, if Robert Kubica's move to Williams is announced sooner rather than later, appreciates the competition, but has acknowledged that Hamilton was too good for Vettel.

"It's been great to see (him) alongside Sebastian in, I woiuld say, an equally competitive car," the Candian youngster insisted. "Maybe it's more competitive, maybe it's less, I don't know, you can talk in detail.

"But he's just out-raced him and out-drove him and you have to respect that as a racing driver. Because a season like Formula 1, 21 races, it's such a long year and he seems to just come in every weekend and get the job done which is easier said than done. Big respect towards him."

Hamilton, 33, just keeps improving according to Stroll, who has heaped the praise on the five-time world champion's consistency.

"He's just been consistent and he's been getting better by the looks of it," Stroll said on Hamilton. "I'm not at Mercedes, I don't know what goes on behind the scenes but you rarely see Lewis crash, you rarely see Lewis make silly mistakes.

"I think that the key to scoring a championship at the end of the day is just picking up points. If you're third and the risk of overtaking second is high, it's just about picking up the points at the end of the day. All those points add up. He's proven that over the last couple of seasons in particular."