Vettel nears title yet Hamilton insists he’s not the best driver
BRITAIN’S Lewis Hamilton says that Sebastian Vettel is not the best driver in Formula One, despite the German effectively sealing a fourth consecutive world title with yesterday’s victory at the Korean Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver has topped the podiums of the last four Grands Prix and now leads Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso by 77 points with only five races left in the 2013 season.
Yet despite clashing with Alonso in the past, Hamilton believes the Spaniard is the most talented driver on the circuit.
“I like battling with Fernando. He’s the strongest driver here and really we should be battling at the front,” the Mercedes driver said, after he crossed the line fifth with Alonso one place behind. “It’s strange. We are of a higher calibre.”
Hamilton was echoing comments made prior to the race. “Fernando is the strongest driver I’ve raced against in my life,” he told a German newspaper. Regarding Vettel, Hamilton had said: “He is not unbeatable; his car is unbeatable.”
Red Bull are also on the verge of a fourth straight constructors’ championship. Despite Mark Webber’s car retiring yesterday after catching fire, the Milton Keynes-based team are 118 points clear of Ferrari.