Vettel and Hamilton admit they're no match for Fangio

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Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel admit equaling the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio's five titles would represent a special milestone, but both men also put the achievement in perspective.

Last year, Hamilton joined Vettel and Alain Prost in the quadruple champion club, and the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers now have an opportunity to join the great Argentinean driver on the next level.

But Hamilton and Vettel both recognize that Fangio's outstanding accomplishment - bettered only by Michael Schumacher with seven world titles - was achieved in very different times.

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"Certainly we will never match him in how successful he was in such a short time and with so few races," says Vettel.

"To have achieved what he did then, where a lot of things needed to come together and car reliability was not what it is now, I think he's probably the best we've ever had in terms of putting it all together."

His Mercedes counterpart agrees: "To have achieved what he achieved then, when danger was at its worst, I think he's the driver that everyone admires the most," adds Hamilton.

"I actually think he should be celebrated more for his success. It's not really mentioned a huge amount. I feel he's the godfather of the sport for the drivers."

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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.