Hamilton 'worried' for Vettel amid Leclerc surge

Lewis Hamilton says he had begun to "worry" for Sebastian Vettel as the Ferrari man embarked on a luckless, and winless, recent run, but was delighted to see Vettel break his drought in Singapore.

Vettel failed to win a grand prix for more than a year between triumphs in Belgium last year and his recent win in Singapore, which came as a result of inadvertent strategy advantage over Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc's wins in Belgium and Italy, as well as a run of four consecutive pole positions, have seen the Monegasque wipe out Vettel's pre-season "priority" at Ferrari and prompt suggestions that the German's days in red may be numbered.

"I actually worried about him," Hamilton told Channel 4.

"I do know him very well. We're part of the same generation and I just know how it is to be on the back foot, having people talk negatively about you, have people write you off and also feel that way within the team that the other guy is getting all the energy.

"I know the psychological turmoil that you go through as a driver and as an athlete. I know Seb has been going through that.

"His team-mate has been going on the up. I've spoken to super, super high up people who say 'Seb is written off, that's him done'.

"But now it does appear they have put all their eggs in one basket [at Ferrari] where Seb used to be the number one driver that they would always choose.

"Now, it appears, for some time that it's now all Charles and they're banking the future on him. I think you will see things evolve over the next year or so that will show you that is the case."

Hamilton added: "To see him have that win [in Singapore], even though I didn't win the race, I still felt really good because something good came to someone who is actually a decent person and a super dedicated individual, and is not written off."

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