Hamilton backs archrival Vettel
|(CNN)Lewis Hamilton says arch rival Sebastian Vettel deserves “more respect” instead of the criticism he has received for his faltering F1 championship bid over the last few weeks.
Hamilton’s fourth straight victory at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix left Ferrari’s Vettel 67 points adrift in the drivers’ standings.
Vettel’s sixth-place finish at Suzuka, after fighting back from an early collision with Max Verstappen, led some observers to suggest he had “gift-wrapped” the title for Hamilton.