Sebastian Vettel has “no doubt” that Lewis Hamilton still knows how to drive a Formula 1 car and has warned rivals not to “write off” the seven-time World Champion.

Hamilton has had a challenging start to life at Ferrari since his high-profile move from Mercedes, with the Briton finishing no higher than fifth in his first five Grands Prix in red.

Still Lewis Hamilton rises? Yes, says Sebastian Vettel

Although he did win the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint having raced from pole to flag, that has been the only celebratory moment in a season in which he sits seventh in the Drivers’ standings.

And the situation is not improving.

“I don’t have an answer for you, no,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com in Saudi Arabia after finishing half a minute down on his team-mate Charles Leclerc. “There’s nothing. Balance, struggling to feel the car beneath me, but there’s no particular thing.

“It’s just, there’s nothing to say, ‘Hey, this is the issue’.”

“At the moment, there’s no fix,” he added. “This is how it’s going to be for the rest of the year. It’s just going to be painful.”

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The Briton’s woes have Ralf Schumacher declaring there will come a moment when Hamilton says, “I’m not doing this to myself anymore“, with former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari believing the same.

Hamilton, though, stood definite at a recent event in London, telling the assembled crowd: “Please keep your fingers crossed. I’m not going to give up.

“We’re going to keep getting better. Still we rise, right?”

Vettel is very much in the Hamilton camp on that one as the former F1 driver believes the Briton has not lost his skills as a race driver, he just finding his feet in a very unfamiliar environment.

“I believe that Lewis can drive – there’s no doubt about that,” he told Sky Sports. “He can do everything that is asked of him.

“It is also completely normal that you need a little time.

“If development moves in the right direction, Ferrari will be in a completely different position. They were very strong last year and just missed out on the constructors’ championship.

“You shouldn’t write off the team or the two drivers.”

“It’s a new environment, a different culture, different people,” he added. “Some just take longer to find their way around.”

It isn’t the first time that Vettel has backed Hamilton.

Speaking on the BBC Sports World podcast last month, the 37-year-old acknowledged that his dream of championship success with Ferrari had been thwarted by Hamilton as he twice finished runner-up to the Briton in 2017 and 2018.

As such, he’s hoping Hamilton can finally give Ferrari fans a reason to celebrate.

“Well, for me, it didn’t quite work because Lewis was there,” said Vettel. “So let’s see now how he will get on.

“But yeah, my fingers crossed. I obviously have raced him a long time. We get along really well, and he’s by far the most outspoken driver on the grid at the minute.

“His on track skills don’t need to be repeated. I think the numbers and statistics speak for themselves.

“But it’s great to see that he’s still on the grid, and he still has, you know, that influence and uses it in a positive manner.

“So naturally, my fingers are crossed, for him to win the championship.”

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