Lewis Hamilton 'on course to be Britain's best'

Double Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen believes Lewis Hamilton has the talent and time to become the best grand prix driver Britain has ever produced.

Hakkinen, who won his titles in 1998 and 1999, has been impressed with Hamilton's ability to cope under pressure despite making high-profile mistakes on his way to becoming the youngest ever F1 world champion.

Hakkinen, speaking at the launch of the Laureus MotorV8 project, said: "He can be the best England has seen because he is a young guy and he has plenty of time to make this his goal.

"He is in a great team and has good commitment to it, so I don't see any problems there.

"He has a fantastic fitness programme and will have the energy for many, many years to maximise his performance. So I don't see any reason why he can't be the most successful."

The MotorV8 programme, launched at the Daytona karting track in Milton Keynes, aims to broaden the mechanical skills of young people.

Hakkinen added: "Being part of a team was one of the most important aspects during my F1 career and it was great to see how it has been used to motivate kids."