Button believes Hamilton is quickest driver ever

Former Formula One world champion Jenson Button believes that Lewis Hamilton is the quickest driver ever over one lap and has claimed that the races that he won up against his compatriot were the best and most impressive of his career behind the wheel.

Hamilton enjoyed a great 2017 season and claimed his fourth world championship as well as surpassing Michael Schumacher's pole position record with 72 poles in 208 races.

The Mercedes driver partnered Button at McLaren for three years earlier in his career and Button thinks that his former partner is the fastest ever driver over a single lap.

"He is unbelievably quick and, over one lap, he is the quickest guy I think that has ever driven a Formula 1 car,” Button told Sky Sports.

"In a race, I could challenge him, and we could race for wins. Over those three years we won a lot and some of the races I did win were the best races in my career, because I had to beat Lewis to achieve them."

Hamilton did not win a title during his time as Button's partner, eventually winning three in five years after leaving McLaren. Button has given an insight into his partnership with Hamilton, and it appears to have been more productive than Hamilton's tumultuous time with Nico Rosberg which was soured by arguments on and off the circuit.

"Because I came from Brawn, where I won the world championship in 2009 - and he won the previous world championship in 2008, with McLaren.

"I moved to his team, if you like, so I walked in the door looking for that challenge of racing against Lewis Hamilton.

"Both British, racing for a British team, both world champions, fresh new world champions, so it put a lot of pressure on us and that made it fun, I really enjoyed that challenge.”