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Button to beat Hamilton - Moss

Jenson Button finished 43 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in 2011 © Getty Images

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• Stirling Moss

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Sir Stirling Moss has backed Jenson Button to get the better of Lewis Hamilton in the intra-team battle at McLaren once again this season.

2011 was the first time in his Formula One career that Hamilton had been beaten by his team-mate across a whole season as Button finished as runner-up to Sebastian Vettel. When asked for his opinions on who would come out on top between the two McLaren drivers this season, Moss said that he expected Button's experience would see him prevail once again.

"Well Lewis does funny things doesn't he, so one can't be sure," Moss said. "I think that I would put my money actually on Jenson. Yes I would. I think that Lewis is terrific, he really is exceptionally quick but I think that Jenson will think about certain things better than he does; when to go in for a change of tyres when it's raining or whether not to, all of those sorts of things. I think he's got a better understanding of it. I think experience is a lot of it, an awful lot of it."

When it was put to Moss that Hamilton's qualifying record shows he has the raw speed, he agreed that the pace was clearly evident but said that he's not 100% immersed in his driving.

"Oh he does, no doubt about it, but then he goes off and screws it up sometimes doesn't he? That's the problem. I think that Jenson is much more dedicated; I don't mean in any way other than it means more to him what he's actually doing, the actual driving and so on."

Moss still believes both drivers will find it difficult to beat Vettel though, likening the double world champion to "a modern Fangio".

"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 would go round and pick what he wanted and one took whatever was left, and it's essentially the same now. Where we're lucky though is that Vettel has a great sense of humour ... and he's a damn good world champion really.

"I think Vettel is outstanding, I think they (Button and Hamilton) are up there but not quite as far as he is ... Vettel is a modern Fangio really in Formula One. One doesn't know other than his natural ability how he is that good, how he can be that good really."

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