Vettel insists that Michael Schumacher is still the best

Sebastian Vettel believes Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher is still the best F1 driver of all-time, despite Lewis Hamilton matching his record number of world titles.

Vettel, who will leave Ferrari for Aston Martin next season, told MotorSport: ‘I still say that Michael is the best of all time for me.

‘When it came down to it, he unlocked a kind of extra level. I have never felt this fascination, this talent in anyone else.’

Vettel previously referred to Schumacher as his ‘hero’ and claimed it was his ‘natural ability’ that made him so successful.

He said: ‘I think he was better than anybody else I’ve ever seen so far. I think he had a natural talent that is very difficult to explain.’

‘I think if you saw him go-karting, obviously I didn’t see him at a young age but I did at an older age, and I was happy to join him in the Race of Champions a couple of times. So you see a little bit more of the skills and the car control.

‘On top of that, he had an incredible work ethic, but I think it’s the combination of the two that for me stands out. I haven’t seen a match yet.’