Lewis Hamilton is gutted to see his old rival Sebastian Vettel retire from Formula 1.
They have been in F1 for a similar amount of time, both making their debuts in 2007 – though Vettel's first permanent race seat didn't come until the following year. And they have spent much of it as title rivals, as evidenced by the 11 world championships won between them.
But while Hamilton's career looks set to continue for a while yet, Vettel is close to the conclusion of his own. He will retire at the end of this season, giving fans just two more races to watch the German in action before he leaves to spend more time with his family.
Hamilton and Vettel may have been rivals for a long time, but they have both come together often as the two racers on the grid most keen to use their platforms to tackle societal issues. Both have taken strong stances against racism, homophobia and other types of discrimination, and have both done a lot to promote equality.
"It is going to be sad to see him leave," said Hamilton of the German. "It has been an unexpected relationship and friendship. It is so difficult when you are so competitive and you are both fighting for something you are passionate about.
"Out of all the drivers that I've raced with, Seb was the first one to stand by me and take the knee with me. He is the first one to go out of his way to fight for things he cares about. I don't believe I've seen any driver in the history of the sport do what he and I have been doing in terms of utilising the platform, being outspoken and taking that risk. I really see him as an ally."
Vettel revealed his decision to step away from F1 in July, having for the first time created social media platforms to communicate the news directly to fans. "The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it," he said.
"At the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next – it is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist."
But before he leaves, Vettel is hoping to pull off one last achievement. His Aston Martin team currently sit seventh in the constructors' championship, but they are just four points behind Alfa Romeo and he will hope he can help the team to leapfrog the Sauber team to secure more prize money that can help the team going forward.
