Sutil-Hamilton yet to mend broken friendship

Lewis Hamilton racing his Mercedes

Adrian Sutil insists his friendship with Lewis Hamilton remains broken.

That is despite the 2008 world champion saying at the Monaco Grand Prix a month ago that he wanted to "get together" with German Sutil and become "good friends" once again.

The pair, close friends since their days in F3, split acrimoniously in 2011 when Hamilton refused to appear as a witness in Force India driver Sutil's criminal trial for assault.

But when asked if they had indeed put their friendship back together, Sutil told the Kolner Express newspaper: "He said in Monaco that he wanted to return to having a reasonable relationship.

"But since then there hasn't been anything," added Sutil.

"If he does something, we will discuss what there is to discuss," the 30-year-old continued. "But it will remain private."

Sutil said he had learned lessons from the events of the past couple of years, including who his real friends are.

"There are always disappointments in life," he said, "but you learn from them, like finding out who are the people who are really sincere.

"I have no problem if someone says to me 'I don't like you'. At least that's honest."

Returning to the issue of Hamilton, Sutil was asked about the Mercedes driver's apparent claim that he is among the very best in formula one.

"If you say you're the best," Sutil said, "it's the beginning of the end. Because if you believe that, you stop working on yourself.

"No one is perfect," he added. "Is he (Hamilton) the best? He was world champion, but that was some years ago.

"Who is the best? Sebastian Vettel -- he was world champion three times in a row and he's still going.

"What Sebastian is doing now is probably more difficult than it is to do it (win the title) for the first time," said Sutil.

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