Jody Scheckter named Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton as his top two drivers in F1 at the moment.
The 1979 world champion was asked to name which drivers he’d pick if he were running an F1 team.
“I always put Vettel and Lewis together as the top two,” said Scheckter. “And I probably have to put Alonso into that but I would probably pick those two drivers, yeah, put two bulls in at one time and try and make them work together in a mature way.”
Speaking to MotorSport, Scheckter said he hadn’t supported his Ferrari successor during 2012: “No, not for Fernando, no. I think what he did when he was at McLaren [in 2007] has just put me off him for life, I suppose.
“I think he drove well this year, there’s no question about that, he’s doing a good job on that, but when somebody does something like that you lose respect for them.”
Scheckter praised Hamilton’s attacking style, saying: “When he came his first year and a half, two years, it was brilliant. I mean no one comes in and has that sort of performance with so little things going wrong. It was incredible.“And last year he was not even making mistakes by being over-aggressive. He was just making mistakes that were completely stupid.
“I rate him as the best driver in heavy traffic. I used to rate Jenson as one of the worst but he’s become quite good in traffic now. But Lewis has been for me in the first years fantastic. He did some manoeuvres in traffic that were just… and got away with it most of the time except for last year. I’m definitely a fan of his.”Scheckter also criticised the current F1 rules which impose grid penalties of drivers for engine and gearbox failures.
“The thing that I think is most unfair about Grand Prix at the moment is when they get these penalties for a gearbox that had to be changed and had to go back. And I just think that’s dreadful.
“I know there’s an opinion that they say ‘well you can’t separate the driver and the car’ and stuff like this. But I think on the track if a driver makes a mistake and crashes that’s the car and driver.
“But when it’s a gearbox rather take it off the constructors’ points and leave the drivers. I think that, for me, because it really spoils some races completely from a viewing point of view.”
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/12/21/scheckter-vettel-hamilton-alonso/Personally i think people getting a bit tired now hearing all the time Alonso is so called out peform the car myth.
Let me hear what you think
I think he's right but over the years ive gained a lot of respect for him since he openly aknowledges Lewis's talent more than once. He soon realised he was probably better than him. Also Lewis thinks Alonso may be the best.
I agree with him because Brazil 2007 Alo pushed lewis wide in turn 4 wich lost him critical positions. I remember cursing at Alonso for that move. Hungary same story. I regard all three of them very high. But Alonso and Hamilton are my favourite drivers. Imo Hamilton makes F1 exciting too watch.
I hope Mercedes has laid in a supply of hair shirts to print up as team wear for the Hamilton fans.
I mean honestly, this is a thread where the article that is referenced puts Hamilton as one of the two best drivers right now and it degrades into a swimming pool match because someone said that Lewis hasn't really spent anytime in a slower car.
The fact that the McLaren wasn't among the top cars at the start of 2009 isn't the same as a year and a half at Torro Rosso, or 2 years at Minardi isn't a knock against Hamilton, it's a simple fact. It doesn't detract from Lewis' accomplishments at all. It's only the more fevered Hamilton fans who sees any post that doesn't praise him who see anything that isn't praise as a dig that brings so many threads down to such a low level.