What British legends think of Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has now established himself as the most successful British F1 driver. His third world title, following his first in 2008 and his second in '14, makes him only the second Brit to win three, after Sir Jackie Stewart - but he has long since passed Stewart's mark of 27 grand prix wins (Hamilton has registered 43).

And by way of honouring Hamilton's rare achievement, F1 Racing invited the five living British F1 champions - John Surtees, JYS, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jenson Button - to offer their thoughts on his success and talent.

All note Lewis's sheer speed, alongside his relentless determination and the rock-solid self-belief that underpins his ambition. As his legend grows, their praise rings ever more true.

JOHN SURTEES
Age 81
Champion 1964
Wins 6
Starts 111

"The way he comes together with a car really impresses me. He has a tremendous feel that lets him maximise its potential. I also like his controlled aggression, the way he can unleash his speed at just the right moment, and his ability to overtake. That must have come from growing up in karting.

"Obviously he has the best car, but you cannot let that detract from his achievements. He's a person who, once he sits in a car, is dedicated to one thing only: trying to win. He's a champion because he has that complete focus.

"I don't like, shall we say, a lot of the things he does out of the car, and perhaps his general presentation, but that's just a factor of my age compared with his. We live in very different times.

"When I was racing we didn't have as many managerial programmes for young talent as there are now, and we certainly didn't have the same kind of rewards and avenues of income. You didn't have social media or television delving into your business, and since we earned money purely through racing we were kept very busy doing that, competing in sportscars and Formula 2 as well as Formula 1.

"Drivers like Lewis now have to spend much more of their time, as a percentage, engaging with media and sponsors than we did. That's a whole extra layer of distractions that you have to shut out when you get in the car, and I think he does that incredibly well."

SIR JACKIE STEWART
Age 76
Champion 1969, '71, '73
Wins 27
Starts 99

"Records are there to be broken and there would be something wrong if Lewis doesn't win more championships with Mercedes. It wouldn't be hard for him to match [Juan Manuel] Fangio's five world titles. The Silver Arrows are spending more money in F1, and they have the power, the skills and the talent, so I expect them to continue to deliver.

"Every good driver wants to align himself with the best team but you must be careful to not get too complacent. I always felt vulnerable. The moment you start thinking you're the best is when you're likely to trip up. Lewis has very good equipment and it's true: you do have a relationship with your car. Your ability to interpret motion and behavioural aspects of so many different component areas of the car needs to be acute. You develop your skills to the point where I would have known if the team had given me my team-mate's car.

"There's a lot of talk about putting pressure on someone else by what you say and what you do. But that's baloney. How you go about your business in the cockpit, how you deliver, and how well you can overcome issues without getting upset or throwing your toys out of the pram is much more important.

"There's no doubt about the power of television today and Lewis is the latest product of that. There's more exposure now, so he's going to be used for promotion much more than my peers or I were. I had a lot of media attention because of the Scottish thing, and the cap, and the long hair, but all sportsmen are so much more exposed today."

NIGEL MANSELL
Age 62
Champion 1992
Wins 31
Starts 187

"I will be very surprised if in another few years, Lewis isn't a four- or five-time world champion. He's got a three-year contract now with Mercedes and they're head and shoulders above everybody else. He is unquestionably the outright number one. He's a racer, he's got tremendous talent, and his confidence is growing. I don't think anyone, other than Sebastian Vettel, can hold a light to him.

"Few drivers can lift their game mentally and physically, and all the great champions of the past, to a smaller or larger degree, had that ability. That's what separates world champions from drivers who win races. I don't think it's God-given, I think it's something you tap into, and the more you tap into it, the more you want it, and the clever ones identify how they get it and how to get into that state of mind.

"Jackie Stewart said a few years ago, that when you win 10 grands prix, you go to a different plateau. When you win 20, you go to a different plateau again, and so on. I only got to 31, but he's spot on. The more you win, the more you tap into those things. You build up your own momentum.

"Bernie Ecclestone said Lewis is crossing more boundaries than any other driver in the past has been able to, and within the realms of sensible parameters I'd say good luck to Lewis. He's exploring life and he's been given a passport of freedom to express anything he wants. It wouldn't surprise me if he did a rap song soon. He's on a magic carpet ride and he's making the most of it: I say good luck to him."

DAMON HILL
Age 55
Champion 1996
Wins 22
Starts 115

"I think Lewis has matured in 2015 in a way that is truly good to see. Finally, now, he believes how good he is. When a driver starts out, they're a wannabe, fighting to make their mark. It seems to me he has got to a place where he now thinks, 'I've already done that'.

"His performance has been a step above 2014 and you're seeing a guy truly at his zenith. I mean, I'm sure he is going to get better, but he hasn't got to that point yet. It's really impressive and I'm relieved to see it, because I think there were times when it looked as if he was going to have a wobble in the career path.

"Compared with some of the recognised greats, such as Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, I think you now have to include Lewis in that category. Having raced closely against people such as Michael, I do fully appreciate how enormously talented people like that are.

"There is a difference in style between each of those guys; they have all gone about it differently. Because they are separated by time it's not possible to compare them in that sense, but they are all part of the same group.

"Lewis's hallmark is that he can drive with the seat of his pants and he enjoys that. His best performances have been in the toughest conditions. He also has strength of character in that he knows when the time is right to assert his position off-track."

JENSON BUTTON
Age 35
Champion 2009
Wins 15
Starts 284

"I know he's a very talented driver because we were team-mates for three years. And not only is he very quick, he's focused, determined and smart. I would say he was one of the fastest team-mates I've been up against. Rubens Barrichello could sometimes pull it out of the bag in qualifying and be quick over one lap, but Lewis does that every qualifying session and he's very competitive during the race.

"Of course it's not just about being quick, it's about getting the best out of the people around you and getting the best out of yourself. Lewis is probably stronger now than he ever was, and he's been getting better and better.

"He's also found himself in the right place at the right time - which a lot of drivers don't. There's a lot of talent in F1 but only one guy can win it. Putting yourself in a position where you have the right people around you and then making the most of that opportunity, is a key element of success in F1.

"He wouldn't have won these last two championships without Mercedes, because they've been formidable. But as well as having the best package, you have to make the most of it.

"The most important thing, once it's just you out there in the car, is to beat your team-mate. Lewis has certainly done that. He's supremely competitive and very hard to beat."