Despite lambasting
Lewis Hamilton for apparently shunning the chance to join the Grand Prix Drivers' Association and campaign for greater safety,
Jackie Stewart still believes that the Briton is the biggest thing to hit
Formula One.
Speaking in the wake of Hamilton's cruise to victory in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, the influential Scot compared the McLaren driver to some of sport's greatest names - notably both black - while claiming that he is already achieved greater awareness than some of the biggest stars in the grand prix firmament.
“Nobody in
F1 has ever had the impact Lewis has had," Stewart told sports channel
Setanta, "
Jim Clark and
Ayrton Senna were both shy, and Alain Prost didn't project the way Lewis does. Lewis is just so much broader in his appeal than all the others.
"He can be as big as Ali - he'll be as near to him as anyone else. In sport, only Tiger [Woods] has done [reached the top] so quickly. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus took a wee while to gain that sort of respect. There are so many hit points for Lewis because no sport has the global interest that F1 has."
Although the relationship had to endure a rocky start with the acrimonious season alongside
Fernando Alonso, Stewart believes that Hamilton and McLaren can become a powerhouse together.
"Lewis has, in my view, already made a huge impact on the man in the street, far beyond his achievements to date," the Scot continued, "He is already bigger than
McLaren, although I think he could well end up staying with them for his entire career, just as Jimmy Clark did with Lotus and I did with Ken Tyrrell."
Earlier this week, Stewart criticised Hamilton for not being a part of the drivers' union.
“It is wrong and complacent of Lewis not to be in the GPDA,” he claimed, “I'm surprised and disappointed that [he] has not yet joined. Hamilton has been ill-advised. The one thing you have to have among the competitors is good communication."
