22/09/2015
NEWS STORY
In the days leading up to the Singapore Grand Prix, seemingly all that mattered, to some sections of the media, was the potential for Lewis Hamilton to equal the number of Grand Prix wins accumulated by his great hero, Ayrton Senna.
Though the Briton has previously pointed out that the legendary Brazilian was taken from us before he could win further races and titles, the media insisted on comparing the two.
Similarly, despite the fact that he is currently languishing in the McLaren, many believe Fernando Alonso to be the best driver on the 2015 grid, however, this isn't a view shared by Hamilton's boss, Toto Wolff.
"I have to disappoint," he tells the official F1 website. "I think that no one really understands how a driver functions. At best you can see in a junior driver if he is fit for F1 but you can never predict how he performs.
"I have seen promising drivers who have never pulled it off and I have seen others where you were not sure and then suddenly they made a quantum leap.
"Right now in F1 I would find it hard to say who is the best driver. I can only give you my standard reply: the two we have are among the best ones. Lewis in his form is probably now the best driver in F1 - when you look at the stopwatch. That is a proven fact.
"He knows exactly what he needs," the Austrian continues, "what environment he needs to be in a happy life. He organizes his surroundings to his liking and the results speak for him understanding what he needs."
Asked if Hamilton's rock 'n' roll lifestyle worries him, Wolff replies: "A part of my role is like that of a football trainer: you have to understand what kind of environment the driver needs. Some do need stable surroundings, some need a creative environment, and others a permanently changing environment - and once you've found out how he ticks you walk that avenue with him. Both our guys are in a phase of their career where they exactly know what is good for them and what to stay aware of.
"Both are committed to the title," he adds. "But Lewis has a great momentum and is in the form of his life. You can read that from his results."