Vettel hit by 'extreme pressure' in 2017 - Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton believes pressure got the better of Sebastian Vettel in 2017, a state of affairs which played into the hands of the Mercedes driver.

The pair's clash in Baku, when Vettel deliberately drove into Hamilton while the two were fiercely battling each other in the world championship, was a clear example of Ferrari driver's lack of control in the heat of the moment this year.

"Seb showed more nerves this season than before," Hamilton told Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper.

"None of us are superman, and everyone can fail under extreme pressure," added the Briton.

• Hamilton voted 2017 top driver by F1 team bosses

"Some reached that point sooner, others later. It's like tennis. If Federer plays against Nadal, one waits for a small weakness in the other, because half a percent is enough."

Hamilton on the other hand appears to raise his game under pressure.

"You saw it at the end of the season," he added. "Suddenly I had no more pressure and was not very good. I compare this season with a 100 sprint by Usain Bolt.

"He often gets a bad start but then he comes back."

Hamilton believes Vettel will take into the winter the lessons from 2017 and come back stronger next season.

"I'm assuming that he recovers his strength for next year, but I'm not afraid," he said.

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