I'm still the best in the world, says Hamilton

London: Former Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, who saw his Brawn GP rival Jenson Button succeed him as the F1 champ this season, insists that he is still the best in the world.

Hamilton scored just nine points in the first nine races, but had a stunning second half, bagging two wins to finish fifth in the standings.

"I love having No.1 on my car, I love being recognized as the best driver out there. At the end of the season the No.1 was taken off my car, but that doesn't mean anything changes in that sense," The News of the World quoted Hamilton, as saying.

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"I still think I am the best. But I know you can always be better, get more pole positions and win more dominantly. That's what I want to do next season and get the No.1 back on my car," he added.

The 24-year-old is certainly making the most of his time with McLaren, as his bond with the team grew stronger after he turned around their fortunes following a nightmare start.

"I am still pushing and working as hard as I can to make this team No.1 again. Last year I knew I had the car, so all I had to do was wake up and prepare myself. I knew everything I contributed to the team was an added bonus. But at the start of this season, I didn't have the car and I had to give a lot of my energy and effort to the team," Hamilton said.

"I guess I worked more as a whole world champion. But when you are world champion you grow to understand what the responsibilities are and you grow as a person. Hopefully, you are seeing some maturity coming through," he added.