In a sport of excess, a remarkable "gap" in formula one is the lack of professional driver coaches, according to former triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart.

In the middle of Lewis Hamilton's first performance slump earlier in 2008, the veteran Scot said Hamilton, 23, was struggling because he had effectively gone "from kindergarten to university overnight".

"Even the great Tiger Woods has a man with him," Stewart said.

Speaking at a London event in his role as representative for Williams sponsor RBS on Tuesday, Stewart repeated: "If you think about coaching and communication, that's where I think there is a gap (in formula one).

"Bring in strategy, but bring in strategy where the communication works, where
understanding is clear and then the type of things that have happened can be
avoided."

He said some of the recent mistakes, like the pitlane pileup that involved Hamilton and also his fellow 23-year-old Nico Rosberg, could have been avoided.

Also referring to Hamilton's mistake during an overtaking move at Magny-Cours last time out, Stewart explained: "Drivers shouldn't go over the top, and I think that has probably taken the world championship lead away from Lewis."

Source: GMM