Sebastian Vettel questions Lewis Hamilton’s excitement for F1

Sebastian Vettel has questioned whether Lewis Hamilton is still excited by Formula One following the seven-time world champion's downturn in results.

Ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Aston Martin's Vettel also admitted he was scared by the prospect of retiring from F1 and believes the sport is "missing" sacked race director Michael Masi.

Hamilton arrives in Baku 75 points adrift of championship leader Max Verstappen - the equivalent of three race victories - after finishing third, 10th, fourth, 13th, sixth, fifth and eighth in the opening seven rounds.

"When you get to know the sport in the way I have done, and Lewis has done, winning and being at the top is what you strive for," Vettel told PA.

"Does it excite you to finish eighth, or 12th or 13th? No it doesn't, when you know you have been first so many times - and in Lewis' case more than any other guy.

"George [Russell] comes in. He spent three years at Williams suffering to death at the rear of the field, scoring the odd point, and then suddenly he is eighth or 12th and life for him is amazing.

"Everybody is different, but you need to be fair from the outside and say, look, is Lewis naturally going to be as fired up about finishing eighth as George probably is? No, and I would be surprised if he was."

Vettel, who claimed four consecutive titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, finished runner-up to Hamilton in 2017 and 2018 before he was dropped by Ferrari and then signed for Aston Martin in 2020.

The 34-year-old German was 12th in the standings last year and has scored just five points this term.

It is almost three years since Vettel took the last of his 53 wins - a tally which puts him behind only Hamilton and Michael Schumacher in the list of F1