Before Sebastian Vettel hung up his racing helmet at the end of the 2022 season, all the 20 drivers on the grid got together for a farewell dinner for the 4-time world champion, courtesy of Lewis Hamilton. A year on, new details about the event have cropped up with Pierre Gasly revealing the mutual regret all the drivers felt after sharing a very candid and human interaction for the very first time.
Gasly told Tom Clarkson on the Beyond the Grid podcast (as quoted by Crash.net),
“By the end of it, we all looked at each other and said ‘why didn’t we do it earlier? Why did we wait five years to make that happen?’ So let’s just make sure that we get to do this again sooner than later.”
It wasn’t a run-of-the-mill farewell dinner. Each and every driver on the grid was present for the occasion. And what really made it special for Gasly was the fact that all the drivers took their “caps off [their] heads,” to enjoy a candid dinner with some really funny stories and wholesome moments.
In the end, Hamilton reportedly ended up paying the bill for the entire dinner. Later, Hamilton revealed this gesture to be born out of their “unexpected friendship” which blossomed despite some really tense moments of rivalry between the duo. Nevertheless, seeing all the 20 drivers harmoniously at one dinner table is a rare sight in Formula 1.
Before Sebastian Vettel’s farewell dinner, F1 drivers’ get-together was a controversial shambles
In 2022, the union of all the drivers on the grid led to one unforgettable memory etched into the hearts and minds of the one’s present to bid Vettel a fond farewell. However, back in 2016 only 18 drivers could make it, and even that was embroiled in controversy.
Hamilton revealed later that despite him putting down a deposit for an end-of-season meal at an Italian restaurant, 18 drivers absurdly split the bill even though he jumped in to settle the bill in full. He blamed Nico Rosberg, the 2016 champion and his arch-nemesis/teammate for suggesting the 18-way split.
When Rosberg was asked about his, he cheekily responded, “Really? Interesting. From what I can remember, the hidden agreement usually is that the world champion pays. But that might just be my opinion.”
