Hamburg - Former racing greats have been lining up to praise Lewis Hamilton following the McLaren-Mercedes driver's achievement in becoming the youngest Formula One world champion.

Hamilton, at the age of 23 years and 300 days, pipped Ferrari's Felipe Massa to the title by a single point after passing Timo Glock of Toyota on the last lap to finish fifth in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

"That was the most exciting Formula One race I have ever seen in my life and it was for the world title," said Damon Hill, the last Briton to be crowned world champion in 1996.

Massa went into the race needing to win and hope Hamilton finished out of the top five and while he fulfilled his side of the bargain the McLaren driver overcame a late rain shower to finish high enough to win the title.

""You have to feel a little for Felipe Massa. He did everything asked of him in front of his home crowd but it was not to be," said Hill.

"I feel sorry for him but it has been such a great day. Lewis has pulled it off and I think he will go on to win many more world championships."

Three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart also said he thought Hamilton could go on to achieve greater success in the sport.

"There's no reason why he can't win more. He's with probably the best racing team in the world," said the Scot, who was world champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973.

"He's a very lucky boy to be there so early in his career with the team's support, skill, resources and technology behind him. He's a man with exceptional talent and raw skill."

Another three-time title winner, Austrian Niki Lauda, said the race was traumatic for Massa.

"It was heartbreaking at the end," said the F1 champion of 1975, 1977 and 1984. "Massa drove a perfect race as he so often has."

Hill said he believed Hamilton's win would have the effect of making F1 attractive to a whole new audience.

""It will be very interesting to see the effect. Lewis is a new character in F1 and he's going to carry the sport into new areas," he said.

"There will be a lot of kids out there who will now just want to be Lewis Hamilton." (dpa)