Lewis Hamilton gives classy response on rival F1 champion he is most proud of

Lewis Hamilton has issued a classy response about previous F1 legends that he has beaten to world championships.

The 40-year-old is statistically speaking the most successful F1 driver in history, holding the all-time records for race victories, pole positions and podiums, and the joint record alongside Michael Schumacher for world championships.

Across his career, Hamilton has been involved in championship battles with the likes of Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg, and he has had a more successful career than all of them - although Verstappen could well get close to some of his records as a four-time champion at just 28.

Hamilton is known to have a close relationship with German legend Vettel, and there is a level of respect between him and Verstappen too, but his relationships with Alonso and Rosberg over the years have been more complicated.

Despite this, Hamilton has issued a classy response to a question about which champion he is most proud of beating throughout his career, stating that each season is challenging in different ways.

He told L'Equipe: "I don't think like that. I admire each of these competitors. I put myself in their shoes; they've made enormous sacrifices. And in the end, someone wins and someone loses.

"I know the pain they must have gone through after those defeats. I'm aware of that. I feel empathy for them in that sense, and enormous respect for them. I don't have one title I'm more proud of than another, because each time, you go through a different journey, you go through different challenges throughout the year to get to this point."

Hamilton and Alonso's fiery relationship

Hamilton hasn't actually won a straight title fight between himself and Alonso, or himself and Verstappen, but he has claimed several world championships while both of those racers have been on the grid.

In 2007, Hamilton finished level on points with Alonso, but both drivers were beaten to the title by Kimi Raikonnen, who finished one point ahead of the then-McLaren team-mates.

That season was one of the most tumultuous in McLaren's history, with Hamilton and Alonso experiencing some issues in their relationship, while the Spaniard was unhappy at McLaren's unwillingness to prioritise him in the championship fight.

McLaren had signed Alonso off the back of two consecutive championship wins with Renault, but British rookie Hamilton was every bit his match as the pair traded wins and off-track squabbles throughout the year.

Alonso left McLaren after just one season and has not gone on to win another championship title, while Hamilton would claim his maiden championship a year later, before going on to add six more to his collection with Mercedes.

While each of them now hold a mutual respect for one another's achievements, Hamilton and Alonso still have a fiery relationship, as evidenced by Alonso's x-rated rant at Hamilton during the recent Singapore GP.

Hamilton then took to social media to poke fun at Alonso's team radio rant, in which he referenced classic British sitcom character Victor Meldrew.

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