Asked by British magazine Autosport if he considers the current F1 grid as good as the one on which he was battling for the world title against names like Jack Brabham, Graham Hill or Jim Clark, Stewart surprised once again: it's not as good, it's actually better.
“I think the animal is exactly the same. I don't think Sebastian Vettel is any different from what Jim Clark was, or Graham Hill was, or Jack Brabham was, or people who have won the world championship more than once,” said the Scot, according to the aforementioned source.
In 2010, no less than 4 world champions lined up on the grid, but the title went to none of them, as it was grabbed by Vettel after a thrilling, five-way (Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were also there in the fight), last-race battle. And with 5 world champions on the 2011 grid, the spectacle from this season promises to build up even more for the upcoming campaign.
“These drivers are the same - all the same desire, want, focus, commitment and God-given talent that has been developed to the highest level. (...) I see 2010 was as good as the late 1960s/early 1970s. And 2010 was a great year, but 2011, because the same people are there with even more experience, I think it is going to be another great year,” added Stewart.
“Mark Webber is 34. I know when I was 34, I was a better man than when I was 23, so therefore I think there is a lot more to come from Sebastian.”
“Webber is still in there, and Kubica could one day be world champion. You also have Jenson driving in the smoothest and cleanest way of any driver, and Lewis is probably the best racer of the whole lot - and the best equipped is still Alonso. You have such a group of extraordinarily skilled people.”
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