Moss: Lewis Hamilton is “on the same level as Jim Clark”
After his victory at the United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton received praise from the illustrious former drivers Stirling Moss and Nigel Mansell.
In the relatively short history of Mercedes in Formula 1, few drivers have had the chance to make their mark. This was the case for Juan-Manuel Fangio, Champion at the wheel of a Silver Arrow in 1954 and 1955, but also for Stirling Moss, who has been more broadly inscribed in the history of F1 as the non-championed driver who has most often finished as vice-world champion, four times.
His first runner-up position at the world championship was achieved with Mercedes, precisely, in 1955. Now 85 years old, the Briton remains a keen observer of the premier discipline and particularly of the star-branded marque.
Interviewed by BBC Radio 5 Live, the one who secured 16 F1 victories between 1955 and 1961 shared his opinion on Lewis Hamilton: « I see no reason why he couldn’t achieve 4, 5, or 6 championships. »
The 2008 World Champion won his 32nd career victory in Austin, making him the most successful UK driver in the premier category, ahead of Nigel Mansell (31), Jackie Stewart (27), Jim Clark (25), and Damon Hill (22). Moss, sixth in this unofficial ranking, compares Hamilton to Clark, against whom he raced in 1960 and 1961: “He is as good as what we have had, and we are very lucky to have him. Hamilton seems unbeatable, quite frankly. He is on the same level as Jimmy Clark and drivers of that quality. He is exciting to watch.”
Nigel Mansell, who congratulated the Championship leader right after the United States Grand Prix, is happy to see his record fall: “It’s great because Lewis is a true competitor. His target is now Alain Prost’s record. I think he will also go after Michael Schumacher’s record,” affirmed the 1992 World Champion. “I am happy and proud [to have held the record] for about twenty years. I am thrilled for Lewis. He will be elated.”
« Thanks to the reliability and the way the circuits are designed, he did a superb job by pushing [the record] up to 32. By the end of the year, I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes up to 34. The fantastic thing drivers have today is better reliability. Many drivers in the past led and did great things but had to retire. I think Lewis will just continue to improve, » he stated to BBC Radio Jersey.
Mansell is confident that Lewis Hamilton will win the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: « I think Nico had to win in the United States to keep a chance. The only thing is the double points at the end of the season. I don’t know how that will work if there are reliability issues for one of the drivers. »
Hamilton has a 24-point lead over Nico Rosberg before the last two races of the season. A maximum of 25 points will be awarded at Interlagos and 50 points in Abu Dhabi.
