Hamilton hatches plan ‘to avoid being hit from behind’ by Vettel
Lewis Hamilton has admitted he will treat Sebastian Vettel with caution ahead of their first-corner dash at the Red Bull Ring in Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Vettel will be under the microscope on the 300-metre run to the uphill opening right-hander following his collision with Valtteri Bottas at last weekend’s French Grand Prix.
Vettel was penalised by the stewards after he lost control of his Ferrari and drove into Bottas’s Mercedes. He finished only fifth as a dominant Hamilton claimed his third victory of the season.
“If I am going into turn one and I know how close Sebastian is to me, I will brake super-late, and deep, to avoid being hit from behind,” Hamilton said.
“There are certain drivers that you give more space to than others. Those are the things that you put into your memory bank so you are aware of them.”
Vettel was deemed at fault for the opening-lap collision at the Circuit Paul Ricard. It marked the German’s second major error of the year – after he fell from second to fourth in his failed attempt to pass Bottas for the lead at April’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku – and his fifth in 12 months.
Asked if he feared that such mistakes were derailing his championship challenge, Vettel sarcastically replied: “I am very concerned. I find it all rather funny.”
He added: “There are some errors that we shouldn’t make and there are some that happen. I am not worried and I don’t think there is something fundamentally wrong [with my driving]. I hope I know what I am doing most of the time.”
Vettel’s Ferrari and Hamilton’s Mercedes have been well matched this year, but the German heads into the ninth round of the season 14 points behind the Englishman.
Hamilton has been in and out of form but, unlike his rival, has enjoyed a clean year. “Mistakes are not part of the plan,” Vettel said. “We have a strong package and every race can make a difference. I am not thinking about France too much. I looked at the incident on Sunday night and at some point you have to move forward.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Vettel’s teammate, could be moved on at the end of the season if the Scuderia choose to hire the talented Charles Leclerc from Sauber. Mclaren, for whom Raikkonen drove in the past, might be an option for the Finn if Fernando Alonso quits the under-performing British team.