Fittipaldi backs Hamilton for title

McLaren's first world champion, who took his second crown with the team in 1974 after a first with Lotus as a 25-year-old in 1972, told Reuters on Tuesday that his money was on the team's 22-year-old British rookie.

"For the championship, I would go for Lewis now. For sure," said Fittipaldi, the first Brazilian world champion and the youngest until Spaniard Alonso won with Renault in 2005 at the age of 24.

"When you are so young and suddenly you are leading and winning, it is a tremendous pressure and he (Hamilton) is taking the pressure in a positive way," he said.

Hamilton, the first black driver to win a Grand Prix, has triumphed in Canada and the United States last weekend to lead McLaren teammate and double world champion Alonso by 10 points.

He is already the youngest championship leader, the youngest Briton to win a grand prix and the only driver since the series started in 1950 to finish all his first seven races on the podium.

Likening the rookie to Tiger Woods in golf or Pele in soccer for his ability to take the sport to a broader public, Fittipaldi saw Hamilton opening up an exciting new era.

"I see we are going to reach beyond the borders of motor racing with Lewis Hamilton like we never have before," he declared.

"If you look at all the world champions before, even the best that we had never reached the public that Lewis can reach."

Fittipaldi was in Montreal for Hamilton's first Grand Prix victory and was struck by how relaxed the youngster appeared off the track and how in control he was behind the wheel.

He watched the race from the outside of the first chicane and observed how Hamilton caressed the car through while Alonso fought it.

"Lewis talks to the car and the car talks to him. They understand each other very well and Fernando I think was screaming to the car. He was not having a conversation," said the Brazilian.

"But Alonso can be very strong, I still believe he is going to be tough competition and Ferrari can come back strongly again. It's not going to be easy for Lewis."

Fittipaldi, who runs the Brazilian team in the A1 Grand Prix series, will join Hamilton at Goodwood in southern England this weekend for the annual Festival of Speed.

Fittipaldi will drive the Lotus type 49, with which he made his debut at Brands Hatch in 1970, up the Goodwood hill while Hamilton will be in a McLaren. The Brazilian said he would love to swap cars.

"I'd pay anything to try the McLaren," he said.