Lewis Hamilton: Sebastian Vettel reveals what he told Mercedes ace after title win

That is what the German himself has revealed.

That comes after Hamilton’s fourth-placed finish at the Mexican Grand Prix yesterday was enough to mathematically ensure the 2018 title, the fifth of his career.

Vettel came second behind Max Verstappen as Hamilton drew level with Argentine racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio on five championships and moved just two behind the record-holder Michael Schumacher with seven triumphs.

That brought to an end a year-long battle between the Mercedes star and Ferrari’s main man with Hamilton storming away from his rival since the summer break.

In the aftermath of the race, Vettel cut short his interview to congratulate back-to-back world champion Hamilton and later revealed exactly what he told the Brit.

“I told him it was well deserved and to enjoy it,” Vettel – himself a four-time title winner – said.

“Number five, I think it’s something incredible.

“He drove superbly all year. He was the better one of us two. 

“So I mainly congratulated him and asked him to keep pushing for next year and said I’ll do my best to fight him again.”

Vettel has only won one of the last nine races to concede ground to Hamilton – with errors and Ferrari’s poor strategy calls causing their own undoing just as much as Hamilton’s stellar drives saw him punk away.

“I think we had our chances,” a frustrated Vettel added.

“We used most of them, maybe some we did not, but in the end we were just not good enough.

“Congratulations to Lewis and his team. They did a superb job all year. We need to stand here, accept that and say congratulations. 

“Obviously we would have loved to have hung on in there for longer, but it wasn’t the case. 

“It’s a horrible moment. You put a lot of work in, and okay you get to a point where you saw it coming.

“I did pay attention in maths, so I could make the numbers – but still you hang in there as long as you can.

“Three times in my life now I had that sort of disappointment in one day, when you realise you cannot win the championship anymore, and those are not happy days.”