Hamilton: 'A privilege to have Ricciardo as a team mate'

Lewis Hamilton would have no issues teaming up with Daniel Ricciardo at Mercedes, should the opportunity ever arise.

The Red Bull driver has yet to define his plans beyond 2018, but recently put forward the idea of racing against Hamilton in identical machinery, a prospect he would relish.

And Hamilton himself finds the idea appealing.

"Daniel is a fantastic driver, it would be a privilege to race against him," Hamilton told Motorpsort.com.

"He’s a great character, he always bring a lot of positivity within his team. I think it’s interesting, I think it’s cool, I take the compliment that people say they [want to race against me].

"I don’t truly necessarily believe that people want to be up alongside me because that is not always necessarily the best thing for an individual. But in some cases, it could be a really good thing because it can help you grow.

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"You look at Daniel, he’s got a great driver in his teammate [Max Verstappen] and to be honest, he has got to really work to outperform him first.

"You’ve always got to beat the person you’re with first before you can look at competing against someone else and beating them.

"That’s just my personal opinion.

Hamilton admitted however that he doesn't any particular reservations about who should be sitting on the other side of the McLaren garage, as long as he brings along a positive spirit.

"I already feel like I’ve raced against the best here, which in my personal opinion is Fernando [Alonso]," he said.

"We have a great driver in Valtteri, who I’m enjoying racing with. There is a lot of great drivers here who I would be happy to race against.

"I don’t mind who I race against, anyone in the world, as long as there is some how you’re able to maintain positivity in the team and hopefully you’re still fighting another team as well.

"I think that harmony is incredibly important for everyone to be enjoying what they do."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.