Lewis Hamilton is closing in on his fourth Formula One championship, which would move him into a tie for third for most in series history.
Hamilton is second on the all-time grand prix winners list, and a fourth championship would give the 32-year-old is the most championships of any driver from Great Britain.
Felipe Massa, one of Hamilton's biggest rivals on the track, said that another championship puts Hamilton in the conversation with Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna as the the greatest drivers of all-time.
"Lewis is definitely one of the best drivers in the history of Formula One," Massa said via Sky Sports. "You cannot really take him away or [place him] in a different level compared to Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. He's there."
Related: Former champ keeps an old rivalry alive; picks sides in the current championship chase
Massa also said fans have a tendency to romanticize the past, and some fans don't give Hamilton the credit he deserves as one of the best in Formula One history.
"All the time you saw Lewis in the car he was impressive,'' Massa said. "He impressed the people in whatever category he did. It was the same with Ayrton Senna. It was the same with Michael Schumacher. The problem is people always love to look back and say in the past it was much better than now, which is not true."
If Hamilton can capture his fourth title, he would move ahead of Senna on the all time list. He would still be three championships behind Schumacher, but he's only 32, so reaching seven titles wouldn't be out of the question.
Some fans might not like Hamilton or his style, but he's certainly established himself as one of the greatest drivers in history.
(h/t ESPN)