Former Formula One driver Sir Stirling Moss has suggested that current world champion Sebastian Vettel is a modern-day equal of the great Juan Manuel Fangio, adding that the German was "quite outstanding" behind the wheel.
Vettel became the sport's youngest-ever double world champion last season, when he secured back-to-back titles for Red Bull Racing.
The German is hotly tipped to secure another title in the forthcoming 2012 season, joining only Fangio and Michael Schumacher on the list of drivers to win three successive crowns.
And Moss, who raced against Fangio throughout the Argentine driver's dominance of the 1950s in the sport, believes that Vettel could be his equal.
"Vettel is a modern Fangio, really, in Formula One," he told the Reuters news agency, "I can't see, other than his natural ability, how he is that good, how he can be that good."
He went on: "I think Vettel is quite outstanding, but then he has got the best car, which is fair enough because normally the best driver gets the best car.
"Fangio went around and took what he wanted and one took whatever was left."
He also praised Vettel's personality, saying that it made him a "damn good" world champion for the sport.
"Where we're lucky is that Vettel has a great sense of humour," he chuckled, "He is a damn good world champion.
"I can think of a lot of other people who get to that position and they don't give back as much as they get out, but he really does."
For the 2012 season, the most likely challenge to Vettel's race for a third title will come from the Mclaren team.
But Moss doubted that either McLaren drivers was quite on the same level as Vettel as things stood.
"[Hamilton and Button] are up there, but not as far as he is," he shrugged, "Lewis does funny things, so one can't be sure. I would put my money on Jenson.
"Lewis is terrific, he really is exceptionally quick, but Jenson thinks about certain things better than Lewis will. Like when it's raining and whether or not to go in for a change of tyres.
"For all those sorts of things he has a better understanding of it, and experience is a lot of it."
He also suggested in comments to the Sky Sports News channel that it was unlikely that Red Bull's design team could be out-thought by McLaren this season.
"Well quite frankly. I think that the design and the team and the whole lot there [at Red Bull]...I don't think they're likely to be beaten," Moss muttered.
"They may be - I hope they are in a way because it will make it more interesting [this season]."
Red Bull will continue their preparations for the 2012 season this week, with the second pre-season test beginning on Tuesday.
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