Lewis Hamilton has admitted he thinks Nigel Mansell is a better driver than reigning champion and 2011 title leader Sebastian Vettel.

After recently saying Vettel’s currently dominant team Red Bull is "just a drinks company", McLaren driver Hamilton has now admitted he rates his nemesis Fernando Alonso higher.

"I see him (Alonso) as my Prost ... if you were to say ’choose a driver’ I would clearly choose Ayrton (Senna). And maybe I would put him as Prost," Hamilton told British newspapers.

But what about Vettel, who has taken Hamilton’s record as the youngest ever world champion and last weekend easily won the 2011 opener from pole?

"I don’t think so," the 26-year-old is quoted by the Guardian.

"If he continues to have a car like he does now then, maybe, but I think when we get equal pace then we will see some serious racing. Maybe he (Vettel) is the new Mansell? Not that I would rate him like I do Mansell," added Hamilton.

The salvos were also firing from the other direction, after Hamilton said he was confident about catching Red Bull this year because McLaren is the better team at car development.

"Of course he would say that, otherwise he might as well not turn up for the next race," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is quoted as saying by L’Equipe.

"But does he really believe it? McLaren has made great progress recently, it’s a great team and they were always good at developing their car during a season.

"But we were better than them in this area last year and we are determined to do the same again," added Horner.