Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Hamilton Destined For Greatness

Lewis Hamilton has got a bit of a thing about Ayrton Senna.

The Brazilian, considered by many to be the greatest racing driver of all time, was a hero to the new world champion when he was a child.

Hamilton chose to follow Senna in painting his helmet a distinctive bright yellow, and has modelled his aggressive, uncompromising approach to racing on him, too.

The 23-year-old Englishman's detractors - and he has a fair few in Formula One - might also say Hamilton shares Senna's arrogance, and belief that he is on a separate level from his competitors.

The thing is, it is beginning to look as if he is right.

"He's a cut above the rest, isn't he?" says Damon Hill, the last Briton to win the title, in 1996.

Privately, even some of Hamilton's fellow drivers are beginning to admit that he is "that 2-3% above everyone else", as one driver who preferred not to be named put it.

Already the youngest world champion in history, a mantle he has taken from his former team-mate Fernando Alonso, the question now is how good Hamilton can become.

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