
Lewis Hamilton has hit back at critics who have accused him of being arrogant and over-confident, especially following what many saw as a hot-headed first couple of laps in the Japanese Grand Prix which dropped the championship leader from pole to the back of the field.
"I would never say I was better than anyone else," Hamilton said on his official site. "But I am a Formula 1 driver and all of us have to believe in ourselves to get to where we are. You have to have that belief to go out and win: and that's what helps you strive for better performance and to achieve more in your life. I look at the other drivers and I want to beat them. I would never say, 'I'm better than you,' I just think that all these guys are the best and to be the best I have to beat them. That's how every racing driver sees things."
Hamilton also denied reports that he claimed he was a better driver than Ayrton Senna saying, "I never said that - and I definitely wouldn't say it about Ayrton because he's my favourite driver. I think he's the best driver there ever was and, to this day, I still don't believe anyone would beat him. If I could achieve just a small part of what he's achieved, it would be a dream for me."
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