Last Updated: 12th June 2012
LEWIS HAMILTON reckons he ‘drove the a**e off the car’ to claim his first win of the campaign in Montreal.
Related Stories
The Brit has stormed to the top of the drivers’ championship after his faultless victory in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
And he revealed: “In Montreal, I drove the a**e off the car. Being able to take a bit more of a risk — that is what I love. That is probably when I am at my best.”
Hamilton, 27, believes if he can now clinch the title it would taste even sweeter than when he won his first in 2008.
He leads Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and reigning champion Sebastian Vettel and would love to slug it out with the duo until the end of the season.
Hamilton added: “That would be an amazing tussle between the three of us. They are the two strongest drivers in Formula One at present. Two double world champions and both incredible drivers.
“I have an incredible amount of respect for the both of them. To be in the mix with them gives me great pleasure.
“But there is no way I am thinking about the championship at the moment.
"We are not even half way through the season and I already know the next race is going to be even harder for us.”
Hamilton’s win came after a succession of cock-ups from his McLaren team which have cost him valuable points this season. And even though his mechanics were slow in his two pitstops he believes the success in Canada will give them a huge confidence boost.
He insisted: “I don’t need to fill up my confidence system because that has been at its highest all year.
“It has not been an issue at all. I have been really happy with my performances as a driver throughout the weekends.
“But most importantly it gives the team an extra boost. Every time we have a win like this the team thinks, ‘we can win this’.
"It gives us all an extra energy boost.”
Hamilton has yet to be offered a new contract with McLaren but has played his way into the team’s good books with this victory.
Boss Martin Whitmarsh said: “Lewis was in control and command throughout the race which was fantastic for him.
“He has shown a level of maturity in adversity this year when it would have been easy to get frustrated with all sorts of different things.
“His confidence will take another step from this and that is a big thing.”
No comments:
Post a Comment