Alain Prost tips Hamilton for 2008 title success.
Four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost has tipped Lewis Hamilton to follow in his footsteps this season, despite the pre-season testing performances of Ferrari.
Speaking on the BBC's Inside Sport programme, which will air tonight (Monday), Prost claimed that missing out on the title in his rookie year will have provided Hamilton with the experience he needs to take the final step to glory in 2008.
"I think Lewis will be the top guy," insisted the Frenchman, who won his last title with Williams in 1993 after three success with Hamilton's McLaren team, "If he has a good car, I don't think it should be a problem. He has more experience now."
Prost does not believe that Hamilton will have things easy, however, acknowledging the early performances of reigning champions Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari in pre-season testing, where the Scuderia and McLaren have more or less annexed the fight for top spot on the timesheets.
"The Ferrari will always be there, so we don't know about Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa - it depends on whether Kimi has the same motivation or not," he said, "Fernando Alonso will be just a little bit behind, but quite close. We are going to see how [Hamilton] is going to handle this extra pressure."
After taking the Formula One world by storm in his debut season, and leading the standings for much of the year after taking his first victory in Montreal, Hamilton lost out on the title by a single point to Raikkonen in the season finale, having had a chance to take the crown at the previous race in China
However, Prost, the first Frenchman to claim the world crown, said Hamilton should take comfort in history, pointing to his own championship disappointments as an example. Prost came close to taking the title in four straight seasons, while racing for both Renault and McLaren, before eventually breaking through in 1985.
"I lost the championship in '81, '82, '83, '84 by a few points and, at one time, I said to myself it must be that I cannot win the championship," he reflected, "Then I won it four times later on. If you have everything together, you have plenty of time."
