Vettel salutes 'special' Schumacher

Sebastian Vettel believes Michael Schumacher is still "something special" despite the seven-times world champion enduring a torrid time in his comeback year.

Schumacher has accumulated just 34 points from nine races this season, and ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix he trails championship leader Lewis Hamilton by 93 points. Even Schumacher has admitted it is "difficult to see it getting any worse", underlining just how tortuous a time he is going through at present.

"Michael has been criticised a lot lately in Germany, England, everywhere," said Red Bull Racing's Vettel. "But he is still doing a very good job. I don't think it's easy to stop for three years and then come back, but if anybody can manage it, he can."

Vettel added: "Obviously the car he is in now is not the most competitive.

"From the outside it is always difficult to make a fair judgement about what is going on, whether the car is to his liking or not, and what is making him struggle.

"But he can still play a very big role in this year's championship as Mercedes will come back and have strong races this year, and be capable of winning races."

As Schumacher has rarely figured at the front, Vettel has had few opportunities to test himself against his legendary compatriot.

On those rare occasions he has come across Schumacher, he has found a driver just as resilient as the one he used to watch.

"I have raced him a couple of times this year, and from inside the cockpit you get quite a funny impression, that it is not just anybody driving or racing you," added Vettel.

"You realise that he knows how to defend his position better than most, knows how to kill your run, let's say. For me, he is still something special. He's won seven titles so he has to be something special."