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[Gaz]

In fact put it this way, with all the crap chucked around after Jenson won the WDC because people suggested "its just the car" yeh fine the car Helped Jenson (he's hardly going to win the WDC in a 07/8 Honda) But in 09 the RBR wasn't far behind and Lewis or Alonso would of put a good challenge against Jenson if Given that car.

Vettle had that car and cocked it up from Race (Kubica vs Vettle)

And even when given the best car he still made it look like very very hard work sometimes compared with Jensons Dominance of half of 2009.

He got Lucky in 2010 he had the best car and that's the only reason he won, we never really saw him Fight for his WDC like Jenson in 2009 (Brazil)

[Denthúl]

But in 09 the RBR wasn't far behind and Lewis or Alonso would of put a good challenge against Jenson if Given that car.

This is something that you cannot prove or disprove, since neither of those drove the car, nor indeed in equal machinery to Vettel. It's quite possible that they would have put up a good fight, but it's not possible to state that as fact.

Vettle had that car and cocked it up from Race (Kubica vs Vettle)

Yes, he made a mistake in the first race, but this is hardly uncommon and people have still gone on to challenge for the title after doing so. Just look at the praise that Massa received after his challenge in 2008, yet he made a number of big mistakes in the season-opener!

And even when given the best car he still made it look like very very hard work sometimes compared with Jensons Dominance of half of 2009.

It may have moved in to the position of best car overall, but not at every track. There were occasions where the RB6 was not the fastest, whereas at the point when Jenson was dominating, the BGP 001 was the fastest package with the exception of China, really.

He got Lucky in 2010 he had the best car and that's the only reason he won, we never really saw him Fight for his WDC like Jenson in 2009 (Brazil)

If you want to make comments about luck like that, surely Hamilton was lucky that he wasn't up against greater opposition in the form of more complete drivers in 2008? Perhaps Alonso in the Ferrari would have made things much more difficult for him.

I could carry this on all day.

The point is, all of the title contenders are fast and talented, all of them are multiple race/pole-winners and all of them are the best on their day, but they are also all prone to error, albeit some more than others. None of them are perfect and that's why we like them*.

*Well, sort of.

[Gaz]

Yes above comments are my opinions not fact.

But they are not mere expressions of stupidity they are based around common sense and a fair assessment of the drivers.

In 2008 Lewis won with the second best car (for the majority of the season)

In 2009 Jenson Won with the Best car for the first half of the season.

In 2010 Vettle ONLY JUST won with the Best car of the entire season it came to almost every race and got pole, and yet he still struggled.

Hes not as good as people think he is, hes a above average driver in a very good car, hes no Alonso or Hamilton.

[Denthúl]

Yes above comments are my opinions not fact.

But they are not mere expressions of stupidity they are based around common sense and a fair assessment of the drivers.

In 2008 Lewis won with the second best car (for the majority of the season)

In 2009 Jenson Won with the Best car for the first half of the season.

In 2010 Vettle ONLY JUST won with the Best car of the entire season it came to almost every race and got pole, and yet he still struggled.

Hes not as good as people think he is, hes a above average driver in a very good car, hes no Alonso or Hamilton.

You're making comparisons without taking the differing factors in to account, though. Consider the levels of competition at the front between all three of those seasons, the reliability problems suffered by each driver in those seasons and whether or not their team-mate was taking points away from them on a regular basis. So no, I don't think it's a fair assessment, personally; I think it's quite biased and not appropriately based on the facts that it should be based on.

My own opinion is that Hamilton is the better driver, but it's not like the difference you would find between, say, Raikkonen and Yamamoto. Vettel is more than an above-average driver. I don't rank him in that elite top couple, but he's better than a huge amount of the field, in my opinion.

[Gaz]

Yes above comments are my opinions not fact.

But they are not mere expressions of stupidity they are based around common sense and a fair assessment of the drivers.

In 2008 Lewis won with the second best car (for the majority of the season)

In 2009 Jenson Won with the Best car for the first half of the season.

In 2010 Vettle ONLY JUST won with the Best car of the entire season it came to almost every race and got pole, and yet he still struggled.

Hes not as good as people think he is, hes a above average driver in a very good car, hes no Alonso or Hamilton.

You're making comparisons without taking the differing factors in to account, though. Consider the levels of competition at the front between all three of those seasons, the reliability problems suffered by each driver in those seasons and whether or not their team-mate was taking points away from them on a regular basis. So no, I don't think it's a fair assessment, personally; I think it's quite biased and not appropriately based on the facts that it should be based on.

My own opinion is that Hamilton is the better driver, but it's not like the difference you would find between, say, Raikkonen and Yamamoto. Vettel is more than an above-average driver. I don't rank him in that elite top couple, but he's better than a huge amount of the field, in my opinion.

Personally I think Vettel is around the level of Mark Webber and Jenson Button.

Very good driver but not quite Alonso or Lewis.

[nish2280]

Yes above comments are my opinions not fact.

But they are not mere expressions of stupidity they are based around common sense and a fair assessment of the drivers.

In 2008 Lewis won with the second best car (for the majority of the season)

In 2009 Jenson Won with the Best car for the first half of the season.

In 2010 Vettle ONLY JUST won with the Best car of the entire season it came to almost every race and got pole, and yet he still struggled.

Hes not as good as people think he is, hes a above average driver in a very good car, hes no Alonso or Hamilton.

Please go compare the technical let downs all drivers faced on their road to WDC.
Vettel had it worse.

[What's Burning?]

A competitive driver will be in the hunt for a top five finish always... even if he's not in the best car. That's what Lewis does, that's what Alonso does.

There are above average drivers that happen to find themselves in the right team at the right time and get their WDC, not discounting anything from that, you've still got to win, you've still got to be consistent and you've still got to earn it and out drive your team mate. This is what I think Jenson has done, and now what I think Vettel has done. He may be on his way to doing it again.

I think most people wouldn't rate Rubens a top five grid driver, yet he was in contention for a WDC in 2009, so this is an example of a potential winner that met the right place at the right time, but couldn't out drive their team mate, a la Mark Webber.

So to try and bring this full circle, this is what I believe Hamilton's thought process to be when answering the question in the OP.

[Hammer278]

If I may say so, Vettels WDC is actually far more impressive than Jensons. The Brawn was probably one of the most dominant cars in F1 history for the first half of 2009, and it was a contender for wins another quarter way through. It was not the best anymore for the last 3-4 races to the end...and he was required to just finish races.

Vettel was never in the lead of the WDC. He cocked up, yes, but its always harder to play catch up than cruising and collecting points. He's had his fair share of bad luck like the brakes failing in Australia (-25 points), engine issues Korea (-25 points). And the manner in which he won in Abu Dhabi was nothing short of impressive, given his age and maturity level. He's not extremely experienced either, so you can't fault him on a mental level. His teammate crumbled under the pressure when it mattered most, but he didn't.

[FRAFPDD]

This thread is a great chance to use a rare smiley:

[Hammer278]

Well I bet that made your day. You can go to bed being very proud of yourself tonight.

Not a very rare smiley dedicated to you:

[FRAFPDD]

Well I bet that made your day. You can go to bed being very proud of yourself tonight.

Not a very rare smiley dedicated to you:

Irony is despite the lack of meaning, that did actually make my day.

And god damnit i will go to bed proud.

[Hammer278]

[ivey]

Alonso and Lewis say that they are the two best drivers in the league. I think this shows the most, because they are the ones who REALLY know.
Not the people in media or people in this forum, no matter how big of an "analysts" they are ;D

[Gaz]

Yes above comments are my opinions not fact.

But they are not mere expressions of stupidity they are based around common sense and a fair assessment of the drivers.

In 2008 Lewis won with the second best car (for the majority of the season)

In 2009 Jenson Won with the Best car for the first half of the season.

In 2010 Vettle ONLY JUST won with the Best car of the entire season it came to almost every race and got pole, and yet he still struggled.

Hes not as good as people think he is, hes a above average driver in a very good car, hes no Alonso or Hamilton.

Nah Lewis had a far harder time with the FIA and tech issues in 2008

Please go compare the technical let downs all drivers faced on their road to WDC.
Vettel had it worse.

[nish2280]

Yes above comments are my opinions not fact.

But they are not mere expressions of stupidity they are based around common sense and a fair assessment of the drivers.

In 2008 Lewis won with the second best car (for the majority of the season)

In 2009 Jenson Won with the Best car for the first half of the season.

In 2010 Vettle ONLY JUST won with the Best car of the entire season it came to almost every race and got pole, and yet he still struggled.

Hes not as good as people think he is, hes a above average driver in a very good car, hes no Alonso or Hamilton.

Nah Lewis had a far harder time with the FIA and tech issues in 2008

Please go compare the technical let downs all drivers faced on their road to WDC.
Vettel had it worse.

No he didnt.