Lewis Hamilton should be respected for his haul of six Formula 1 titles, but he isn't a "unicorn", Daniel Ricciardo claims.

The Australian is one of multiple drivers who feel they've underachieved as the Briton and his Mercedes team have dominated the sport since 2014.

But that superior performance of the German manufacturer is often used as an argument to downplay what Hamilton has achieved, suggesting his near-record haul of wins and championships are due to the car and not the driver himself.

And Ricciardo agrees if the front of the grid had more equal machinery, the competition Lewis would've faced would have been stronger.

“There are rarely unicorns in sport,” he sais speaking to Autocar. “There’s always a small handful of people who have the talent to win on any given day, and our sport is no different.

"I believe there’s a group of us at the top tier, and I believe I and a handful of others, in the same car, could have given him a run for those titles."

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Over the past few years, there has indeed been times when Hamilton's reign has appeared under threat, particularly from Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari in 2017 and 2018.

Ricciardo too has had his moments and arguably earned his place in the conversation as one of the top-five drivers in F1 thanks to his performances in 2018, winning in both China and Monaco.

“I’m in that top group,” the current Renault driver insisted. “As far as talent or ability to push a car to the limit – the skill set – there are a few of us that can get there. But we need the right car, and then, for this group, the difference is less about speed and more about the ability to nail results race after race.

"On a given day, a few of us could win. Where you have to hand it to Lewis is that he does it time and time again."

Ricciardo then spoke of what he thinks separates those who are simply good from those who can be F1 champion.

“What separates that little group, beyond the car, is the mental and physical ability to deal with everything this sport throws at you, week in, week out," he explained.

"It’s the days when your health isn’t so good, or you’re feeling a bit jet-lagged, or you’ve just had a bad week. If you can still get in the car and deliver on them, then you can be champion.

“The point with Lewis – the point that makes him special – is that he has done that six times," Ricciardo notes.

"Even if you argue he’s had the best equipment, that achievement is remarkable. To stay on himself year after year, to keep pushing himself, to take on the pressure of being the one we’re all hunting: that’s remarkable.

"For all my confidence – and I’m certain I could win a title against him – could I battle and beat him year after year? I don’t know. It’s some achievement, and it warrants respect.”