Lewis Hamilton Nearly Slips Vettel’s Name in Press Conference After Chinese GP Disqualification

Lewis Hamilton is embarking on a brand-new adventure on the track. The British driver, now behind the wheel for Ferrari, is aiming to capture another world championship — this time with the legendary Scuderia.

While Hamilton did secure a pole position during Q1 in China, things took a turn when both he and teammate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix. The reason? Hamilton’s car failed post-race inspection — specifically, the rear skid block was found to be below the minimum required thickness of 9 mm.

During a press conference following the disqualification, Hamilton opened up about the narrowing margin for error in this year’s championship race. He acknowledged that Ferrari is starting to lose some ground to rival teams, and in doing so, nearly mentioned a familiar name — one of his greatest rivals — before quickly correcting himself.

“We’re obviously losing ground to McLaren, Mercedes, and Sebas… Verstappen,” Hamilton said with a subtle smile, catching himself mid-slip.

Hamilton vs. Vettel: A Legendary Rivalry

Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel shared one of Formula 1’s most intense rivalries, especially during the years when Vettel drove for Ferrari. Vettel himself has previously admitted that Hamilton was one of the toughest competitors he ever faced — alongside Fernando Alonso.

“Lewis has been my hardest rival, especially during my time at Ferrari. He was always up there. Before that, I’d say it was Fernando, back when he was still racing with Ferrari,” Vettel once said.

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