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Damon, I agree with you. Now, I am very fond of Damon Hill, but would not necessarily rank him with the all time megastars. He's quick on his day, he's skilled and he's also a decent man, but the table above which places him in the pantheon of stars on the basis of points per start is, I think, wide of the mark.
But Damon Hill is an excellent example of an analytical driver. A skilled test and development worker, he knew the parameters of his Williams long before he had to race with it. Given the telemetry of what Alain Prost was doing, he analysed his own performance, noted where there was room for more speed, and trained himself to deliver it.
Not a gifted natural, and not a gutsy fighter, his genius is in learning the best way to conduct a car, and having the nerve and the finesse to achieve it.
Something to do with his time as a motorcylist, perhaps?
As an aside, I read an amusing tale about one of the acknowledged greats. Apparently Jim Clark could be an appalling road driver. The man who could make a car dance around a circuit on its tiptoes was prone to silly mishaps on the street. The tale was told of him picking up a complimentary Ford Galaxie 500 from somewhere, and having an accident with it as he pulled out of the parking bay. He was so focused on learning the characteristics of the car from the first moment, that he failed to concentrate on the casual roadgoers around him.
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