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Sebastian Vettel chose to snub childhood hero Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton when naming the greatest driver to grace Formula One. Vettel, who will retire at the end of the season, has always favoured Schumacher after growing a close relationship with his German compatriot.
Seven-time world champion Schumacher was a mentor for Vettel when he first made it onto the F1 grid, and the Aston Martin driver has since assumed a similar role for his son Mick as the youngster aims to make his own strides in the sport.
But while Vettel has always favoured Schumacher over Brit Hamilton, also a seven-time title winner, he has opted for Juan Manuel Fangio when discussing the greatest ever. Vettel was interacting with a fan at the Mexican Grand Prix, and when asked about five-time champion Fangio, the 35-year-old gave an emphatic response.
“I’m a fan of Michael [Schumacher], but Fangio is a little better… the best, the best, the king,” Vettel said. Fangio’s motorsport legacy lives on after he dominated F1 in its fledgling years.
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The late Argentine won all five of his titles in the first decade of F1 after its inception in 1950. And Fangio remains the oldest driver ever to win an F1 title after his triumph in 1957. In total, the driver nicknamed ‘El Maestro’ won 24 of the 52 races that he entered.
After Vettel’s assertion, one man who will be looking to enter the debate, that also includes the great Ayrton Senna, is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The 25-year-old is already a multiple world champion and is well on course to being considered in the conversation with such illustrious names at the end of his career.
The Dutchman eclipsed Vettel and Schumacher’s joint record of 13 race wins in a season with a dominant 14th victory of the year in Mexico.
And the four-time world champion has urged Verstappen to win the final two races as he prepares for his penultimate race of his own career at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
“I think he’s had a hell of a season, so hopefully he goes on and get 16 [wins] by the end of the year, because anything else will be a disappointment,” Vettel said.
“It is great for [Red Bull] and I still know some people there, so I am really happy for them. Obviously they have a lot of momentum from last year and the car this year is incredible.
“They won races even though they were heavier than anybody else, and I think now they’ve finally got the weight out. So the car is there, but Max is doing an amazing job as well.”
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