Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton somehow walked away from Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix with championship points to his name, despite treacherous conditions and several spins.

The British driver knows it could be several races before he can challenge at the front of the grid with McLaren playing catch-up to their rival teams.

But that didn’t stop him attacking the rain-hit Shanghai International Circuit with impunity has he bounced back from several off-track excursions to take sixth place.

The McLaren driver was aggressive from the start pulling off some impressive passes on Kimi Raikkonen and Jarno Trulli to get up to fifth.

“It was almost too difficult to drive at the beginning of the race,” he said. “But I found a good pace and had some fun in the opening laps, but unfortunately I destroyed my tyres quite early on.”

Then came a spin at the exit of Turn 10 which dropped him to tenth place. A resilient fight back saw him re-pass teammate Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli to run eighth.

After the second safety car period Hamilton was forced to re-pass Kimi Raikkonen again, this timing using the outside of Turn 7 to take fourth place. A second spin after his first pit stop dropped him to fifth place behind teamamte Heikki Kovalainen and a further mistake at Turn 16 dropped him to seventh.

“I made a few too many mistakes today,” said Hamilton, eventually taking sixth place at the chequered flag when Adrian Sutil crashed his Force India. “It was very slippery and my front-left tyre was finished long before the end but I still gave it my best. This afternoon was a real struggle but I’m glad I got some points for the team.”

Heikki Kovalainen in the sister McLaren enjoyed an altogether more consistent day battling his way through the field and benefiting from others mistakes to take fifth place.

“The visibility was unbelievably poor – especially during the first few laps after the Safety Car came in,” the Finn said. “But our pace was good and, during the last laps of the race, I could get close to Rubens – just not enough to start an attack. Our strategy was spot on: finishing higher than fifth was not possible today and I’m very pleased to have scored four solid points without making a single mistake – despite some massive moments!”

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh concedes that the team still have a lot of work to do catch the Brawn GP and Red Bull drivers.

“We were never going to be able to live with the Red Bulls or the Brawns today, which is why we chose a one-stop strategy,” he said. “The track was wet throughout the race, and the longer stints that our strategy dictated inevitably caused more wet-tyre wear than that experienced by the two-stoppers; but, despite the challenges posed by that extra wet-tyre wear, our drivers both coped very well.”

So, overall, an encouraging result: getting two cars into the points shows that we’re making good progress, but there’s more to come and we’re working flat-out to develop the improvements that will deliver it.”

By Chris Hayes on Sunday, April 19, 2009

Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his third place in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix after the FIA ruled that his McLaren team “deliberately mislead” stewards in a post-race enquiry.

Hamilton was awarded third place after the race last weekend after Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was penalised for passing under the Safety Car. However Trulli has now been reinstated to third place after the sport’s governing body said that Hamilton and McLaren had deliberately mislead the stewards at the hearing on March 29.

On Thursday, Hamilton was summoned before the race stewards again to discuss a “new element” of evidence. It is currently unclear as to what this evidence was however it is thought to be radio communications between Hamilton and the team.

By Forumula1.net

Lewis Hamilton´s third place finish in Australia - awarded to him after stewards penalised Toyota´s Jarno Trulli - is again under question as the FIA reopen the issue.

Under safety car conditions, Trulli made a mistake and went off the track and Hamilton had no choice but to pass him, the world champion told Speed TV. Trulli then illegally re-passed Hamilton, for which act he was penalised and demoted from the podium position.

But stewards are investigating new evidence which has come to light. The new evidence - thought to be previously unheard McLaren radio traffic - raises the possibility that the team told Hamilton to slow and let Trulli by.

After the race, Trulli explained the events from his point of view.

“When the safety car came out towards the end of the race, Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road,” he said.

“I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do.”

If the new enquiry finds that the McLaren team withheld evidence, the consequences could be serious, as failing to produce key evidence in such a case clearly contravenes sporting regulations.

Hamilton and Trulli have both been summoned to appear in front of three race stewards today in Malaysia to explain the story. They, together with Australian GP race stewards, will reconstruct the sequence of events for the FIA panel.

By Hugh Podmore

Kimi Raikkonen this week watched his new steed, the F60, be born. In the wake of this, it was announced that he would take the number 3 and Felipe Massa the number 4, in defiance of convention regarding the previous year’s championship standings. Stefano Domenicali, the team principal, then publicly called for a return of the ‘old’ Kimi. Strange times indeed. But what is clear to most F1 fans is that the upcoming year holds all sorts of questions for the 2007 world champion.

Is the number change Ferrari’s acknowledgement of Raikkonen as number one? Will Kimi return to the pinnacle, unchallenged as the raw fastest in F1? Was it just the tyre-heat issue that slowed him? Will he dispose of Massa next year?

Or will it be the year in which Massa exploits Kimi’s apparent disinterest? How many more votes of confidence from the Ferrari hierarchy does the Finn need? How much does he want to ‘do’ F1 after having won the world championship?

In so far as Raikkonen is a private man and does not give much away in interviews, it is difficult to predict the answers to these questions. Many believe, however, that he is one of the greatest drivers ever, and certainly one of the fastest. They cite his speed at Sauber and McLaren, and the probability of his winning the 2005 world championship with McLaren had it not been for their reliability problems. His win from 17th on the grid at Suzuka in 2005 is widely considered one of the best races ever. Fans of the Finn argue that his speed is not open to debate.

But critics would counter that his motivation, however, is in doubt. After winning the 2007 championship through consistency rather than show, many wondered if Kimi would remember the comment he is reported to have made when at McLaren. ‘I don’t like F1. I like the driving, but not everything else. I think one world championship will be enough.’
His ice-racing, his gorilla suits and his alleged passion for Absolut and Marlboros, while delighting the lads, was hardly the image of a 21st century sports icon.

2008 was by all accounts disappointing. It was reported that he found the F2008 a difficult beast, recalcitrant with its tyres. It certainly suited Felipe Massa more. Prior to their association at Ferrari, few F1 aficionados would have drawn comparisons between the Brazilian and the Finn. Raikkonen was considered the natural, the fastest; Massa the learner who could dominate if conditions were right and he kept his head. 2008 changed that perception, showing all that the car can be the master of the drivers in this day and age. Massa’s improvement cannot be discounted either.

So where to for Raikkonen now? 2009 is a make or break season for one of the world’s most highly paid sportsmen. Alonso, it is an open secret, is waiting in the wings. Raikkonen is the star driver who brought Ferrari glory in 2007. Massa is the new darling who failed narrowly in 2008. If Raikkonen cannot resurrect his previous form, he will in all likelihood be ousted at the end of the year. But he will also have disappointed a lot of his fans, who saw in him the inspiring characteristics of the romantic heroes of old.

By Hugh Podmore on Friday, January 16, 2009

Ferrari were first to usher in a new era of Formula One today with the launch of their 2009 challenger, the F60, in Mugello. Forumula1.net’s Dan Barnes looks back on the highs and lows of 2008 and assesses the Scuderia’s chances of title glory one year on.

The Ferrari F2008 may have had superior pace, but a lack of reliability allied to fudged pit stops and erroneous decisions ultimately cost Ferrari the drivers’ title.

The F2008’s strengths lied in its raw race pace. The Ferrari was estimated to have the most powerful engine on the grid with an advantage over the midfield of around 25 BHP. However, the Ferrari power plant was incredibly unreliable. It failed spectacularly in Australia for both Kimi and Felipe and then later in the season at Hungary and Valencia.

Problems generating heat into their tyres compromised Ferrari in qualifying but it meant that the F2008 had a blistering race pace and looked after its tyres over the course of a race stint tremendously well. Take Hungary. McLaren locked out the front row but Felipe Massa’s race pace was superior to the silver cars allowing the Brazilian to dominate the race until a cruel engine blow three laps from the chequered flag.

Ferrari also seemed to have an advantage at the race start compared to its competitors. That allowed their drivers to challenge early on in a race and gain positions off the grid.

But for all the strengths of the F2008 there were weaknesses too in both the car and the operation of the team at races.

The F2008 had poor engine reliability which cost the team valuable points. There was also the broken exhaust in Magny-Cours which slowed Kimi Raikkonen considerably handing the win to Massa.

A prevalent theme for Ferrari in 2008 was the litany of pit stop errors which marred the teams campaign. The problems were the result of human error from the misuse of the pit stop light system costing Massa the win in Singapore and wrecking havoc with his race in Valencia.

Ferrari also suffered from a more anonymous refuelling problem in Silverstone and Montreal where Massa was misfuelled, severely compromising his qualifying and race respectively. The Ferrari pit wall also made questionable decisions at times during racing situations; most notably in Silverstone where they chose to leave Kimi on his used Intermediates at the first round of pit stops because their forecast showed no more rain. This forecast was wrong and oblivious to all other teams they proceeded to put on a new pair of intermediate tyres which compromised Kimi’s race.

Silverstone highlighted Ferrari’s wet weather ineptitude throughout most of the season, with similarly poor results in the wet races at Monza and Spa. Only by the very end of the season after intensive testing in Mugello did the Scuderia seem to have reasonable wet weather performance as demonstrated in Sao Paulo.

Despite the sweeping rule changes for 2009 not all of the Ferrari’s work in 2008 is defunct. Although engines are now required to last three races and are limited to 18,000 RPM the engines will remain relatively the same with only minor tweaks to improve reliability and costs allowed under the engine freeze.

Ferrari have it seems been exhaustively testing its engines over long runs in pre-season testing having identified it as a key weakness of the 2008 package. Also remedied for the 2009 season is the Ferrari pit light system which now has fail-safes built in to prevent human error of the system whilst in manual mode. The decision making process is also an area the Scuderia should have focused on.

Stefano Domenicali readily identified the weaknesses of Ferrari in 2008 when speaking at the end of season party at Maranello in December: “We didn’t lose the championship in Brazil but before, when we had problems with reliability and made mistakes. We have to analyse the causes, with tranquillity but decisively, to be sure that it will not happen again in the next year.”

If Ferrari can rectify these mistakes they have won half the battle.

The other half of the challenge in 2009 is adapting to the new rules including; slicks, new aero regulations and KERS. KERS has been discussed regularly by Aldo Costa who has sounded anything but confident when discussing KERS, noting in late December “We are late with the KERS. We prepared a hybrid F1 car to test it, but the system isn’t ready. In February we’ll understand how to go to the first grand prix.” In contrast we have heard little about the progress made on slicks or the aero package from Ferrari with the first real indicator of performance likely to come on January 20th when testing commences at Jerez.

So whilst the launch of the Ferrari F2009 at Mugello reveals little about the Scuderia’s competitiveness in 2009 it offers the chance to enjoy the first glimpse at what a completed 2009 car will look like. For anything more than aesthetics I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until Melbourne to find how well Ferrari has adapted to the new rules and if it has ironed out its 2008 gremlins.

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, January 12, 2009

The special celebration edition of Lewis Hamilton’s biography My Story is the nation’s best-selling sports book.

In the week ending last Saturday, it sold 12,712 copies in stores, outselling the books by Jamie Carragher and Sir Bobby Charlton, and putting it at number 13 in the Sunday Times top 20 hardback non-fiction chart.

Updated to include the 2008 F1 World Championship season, including the breathtaking finale in Brazil which saw Lewis clinch the World Drivers’ title on the penultimate bend, the book contains more than 70 new photographs and a new introduction by Lewis reflecting on his remarkable year.

From early karting glory and signing for the McLaren team at the age of 13 to becoming the youngest ever F1 World Drivers’ Champion with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team just 10 years later, LEWIS HAMILTON: MY STORY - Special Celebration Edition, recalls all the memorable moments in an outstanding career to date.

A substantial donation from the advance together with all the future royalties will be paid to the Lewis Hamilton Foundation, a trust set up to provide charitable funding for children and young people.

To purchase the book from amazon click HERE.

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, December 21, 2008

2008 Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton has been voted the world’s favourite driver, with his McLaren squad earning the accolade of most loved team.

These were the findings of the ING/F1 Racing Formula 1 survey – an exhaustive investigation that straddled the globe in order to track the profiles, viewing habits and preferences of the average Formula 1 fan.

Officially unveiled earlier this month at Monte Carlo’s prestigious Motor Sport Business Forum, and with nearly 70,000 fans polled, it’s the most exhaustive, accurate and authoritative survey of the year.

When asked to name their favourite driver, the fans’ verdict was overwhelming: Lewis scooped top honours with a massive 27 per cent of the vote – more than 10 per cent ahead of his closest rival, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Fernando Alonso racked up 12 per cent with Felipe Massa taking nine per cent.

In the teams category, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes also emerged on top, receiving 29 per cent of the vote, ahead of Ferrari (28), Renault (six) and Williams (six).

Lewis said: “I think the standard of drivers currently racing in Formula 1 is higher than it’s been for years so I’m humbled to have earned the fans’ support. Drivers like Kimi, Felipe, Fernando, Robert and myself have made the battles at the front probably the closest and most exciting they’ve ever been – and, more than anything, I hope that’s what the fans enjoy the most.

“The icing on the cake is the popularity of the team. I know just how hard everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes works – they’ve done an unbelievable job this year and every single member of the team deserves this honour.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, December 18, 2008

Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Kimi Raikkonen, 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is to appear on a set of commemorative stamps.

The Isle of Man Post Office is issuing a set of six stamps featuring stunning images of Hamilton’s championship year.

As well as the stamps, a first day cover, presentation pack and special sheet folder will also be produced and issued on Thursday 15th January 2009.

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh said that the six commemorative stamps “really capture the emotions of a fantastic season.”

Dot Tilbury, Philatelic Bureau Manager at the Isle of Man Post Office added: “We are thrilled and honoured to be part of the celebrations to acknowledge Lewis’s 2008 Formula 1 World Championship and hope our stamps capture the spirit of his momentous achievement to all his fans around the world.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, December 18, 2008

David Coulthard has advised newly-crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton to think twice about his pledge to spend the rest of his career with McLaren.

After winning the championship in Brazil and returning home to the UK, Hamilton told journalists: “I want to see my career through with this team (McLaren), so that’s my plan.”

“When I say I’m not going anywhere, I’m in the team I’ve always dreamt of driving with, and when you’re living your dream and you’ve got the car you want to have why are you going to change?”

But Coulthard thinks it would be foolish to make such a commitment given that the team’s performance could take a downward turn in the future.

“In terms of trying to achieve wins it would be silly of him to stay there if the car wasn’t performing,” the Scot told BBC Radio 5Live.

“He wants to win grands prix and you would expect him to say that right now because they’re on top of the world.

“But I don’t think he needs to talk about the future beyond enjoying this World Championship at this moment and the battle of retaining that championship next year. None of us knows what the future holds.”

Coulthard isn’t the only ex-F1 driver to urge Hamilton to keep his options open.

Eddie Irvine said last month that the Briton should consider switching to McLaren’s rivals, Ferrari, at some point in his career.

“What Lewis has achieved in only his second season is great for Formula 1 and he is, to me, the first normal F1 Champion in a long time,” Irvine told his Virgin Media column.

“You look at (Michael) Schumacher and (Fernando) Alonso who were super boring out of the car.

“Lewis can talk, he looks good, he has a pop star girlfriend so he has a real appeal to the masses and that’s great for Formula 1.

“So he may win a couple more with McLaren and he’s loyal to Ron Dennis but he’s got to move to Ferrari at some point.

“Having been there, I’ve seen what it’s like and it’s a different situation to being with any other team. He’ll go there as a superstar already and ultimately I feel that’s where he’s got to go.”

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, November 10, 2008

Lewis Hamilton says he has always respected his former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso and has denied that there was ever a personal dispute between himself and the Spaniard as they battled for the title at McLaren last year.

“I don’t think there was a particular dispute between us,” he said at Mercedes-Benz’s Stars & Cars event in Stuttgart this weekend, according to autosport.com.

Hamilton also disclosed that Alonso was one of the first drivers to congratulate him after he won the world championship in Brazil.

“It was great to see him in the garage,” said Hamilton. “He came over as I saw my team, I turned round and he was there - just to wish me congratulations. Then he said congratulations to the rest of the team.”

“I had a huge amount of respect for him already, but it took a big man to come and do that so I was very thankful to him.”

Alonso’s feud with McLaren stemmed from his belief that the the team were biased towards Hamilton and that eventually resulted in him leaving the team.

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, November 9, 2008

Newly crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton took Pussycat Doll girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger on a romantic tour of his home town, Stevenage, on Wednesday, after returning to the UK with the 2008 F1 World Title in his grasp.

After what was a very public home-coming at the McLaren Technology Centre, in which both Hamilton and Scherzinger were on hand to answer questions from the world’s media, the pair headed off for a quiet night in Stevenage.

The couple were treated to a roast chick dinner at the house of Hamilton’s step-mum, Linda, before checking into the local cinema where they watched the new James Bond film.

The British hero then took his girlfriend on a tour of the town in which he grew up.

Hamilton told The Mirror: “I’m the world’s biggest Bond fan, and this movie is the best one yet. It was nice to go back to my home town, have a night out at the cinema and go back to a few old haunts without being recognised.

“I drove round Stevenage, past the house where I used to live in Peartree Way, past the church where I was baptised and my old primary school. It made me smile.”

“It was just great to see the old house was still standing - even the old posts where the gate used to hang off were still there. It was a tough neighbourhood and a tough place to grow up. There was a lot of suffering around that area, but I was safe enough in the end.”

“Almost opposite was a hostel full of troubled people, including drug dealers, youngsters who had kids at 14. There was always something going on. The police were round there all the time.

“But I wanted to show Nicole for the first time where I grew up and where I came from. It’s not that long ago since I was there because the last time I drove round the town was earlier this year, and I still go to the dentist in Stevenage.”

By Christopher Hayes on Thursday, November 6, 2008

British racing legend welcomes ‘exciting’ Hamilton as youngest World Champion but says he should never have won the title;

McLaren defend ‘disciplined’ Brazil tactics

Lewis Hamilton’s touch-and-go charge to fifth place in Sunday’s thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix did not deserve to earn him the World Championship. That is the verdict of four time championship runner-up Sir Stirling Moss who was disappointed to see the Briton abandon his characteristically aggressive racing style as he tip-toed to championship glory.

Hamilton entered the history books on Sunday as the youngest world champion in Formula One, and the first British champion in over a decade, following a nail-biting climax to the final race of the 2008 season in Brazil.

With only one lap of the race remaining the British hero found himself out of the money in sixth place behind Toyota’s Timo Glock after light showers intervened in the dying laps.

Hamilton’s championship rival Felipe Massa crossed the line in first place, prompting huge roars from his Brazilian supporters who, along with Massa’s family and the local boy himself, believed they were witnessing the first Brazilian champion since Ayrton Senna in 1991.

But as Hamilton navigated the final few corners he approached and passed Glock, who was struggling in the conditions, to take fifth place, and with it the title.

“He shouldn’t have been in that position,” Moss told Forumula1.net. “If he’d been allowed to drive as he normally does - aggressively and quickly - he wouldn’t have been in a situation where we’re thinking is he going to make it or isn’t he.”

“I mean he lined up fourth but finished fifth and I thought that was very disappointing. He was very very lucky to get the title. I think he deserves it because he’s done so well during the year, but he certainly did not deserve it on Sunday.”

Moss blames team orders for Hamilton’s nearly-moment and reckons the McLaren driver would have had a far easier ride to the title had he been allowed to do what comes instinctively to him as an aggressive racer.

“I was disappointed because he didn’t go into that race as he normally would: as a racer. He went into the race to make the numbers up.”

“I think it was probably team instructions, but I think the instructions were wrong. They (McLaren) were very lucky to get away with it. I mean let’s face it, if Glock hadn’t had the wrong tyres on he (Hamilton) would never have done it. It shouldn’t have been like that.”

However, McLaren insist that they couldn’t have expected anything more from Lewis Hamilton in Sunday’s chaotic race.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren’s Chief Operation Officer is adamant that Hamilton’s ‘disciplined’ approach was precisely what was needed to enable him to clinch the title.

Speaking exclusively to Forumula1.net Whitmarsh responded: “Like everyone at McLaren, I have huge respect for Sir Stirling. He was a wonderful driver in his time, and remains a legend of our sport.

“Lewis drove a superbly disciplined race in extremely difficult conditions in Brazil, and did what was required to secure the drivers’ world championship.

“Felipe, too, drove brilliantly to win the race, and I’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the quality of his driving throughout the season and the impressively sportsmanlike way he handled the disappointment of finding out at the last minute that he hadn’t won the drivers’ world championship.”

“But, as I say, Lewis did exactly what we asked him to do, from a highly technical point of view, which is how you have to operate in 21st century Formula 1.

“When Sir Stirling says, ‘If Glock hadn’t had the wrong tyres on, he [Hamilton] would never have done it’, it’s important to remember that the reason Timo had the wrong tyres on is that he hadn’t stopped to change them; had he done so, he would have dropped back anyway.”

Whitmarsh added that Hamilton’s success needs to be looked at in the context of a full Formula One season.

“The reality is that the world championship is fought out over 18 grands prix, not just one, and Lewis won superbly in Australia, Monaco, Britain, Germany and China, showcasing the racer’s instinct that Sir Stirling so rightly admires in him.

“So, yes, it was touch-and-go at the end, but 12.5 million viewers watched the Brazilian Grand Prix in the UK alone and I’m sure that they’d all agree with me that what they saw added up to a fantastic evening’s TV entertainment.”

Picture: ukmotortalk.co.uk

By Christopher Hayes on Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Lewis Hamilton may have secured the 2008 F1 Drivers’ Title on Sunday, but he narrowly missed out on winning his dream car, the McLaren F1 LM.

In March, The Sun newspaper reported that Ron Dennis had promised Lewis the factories own car, on the basis he won both World Championships.

At the time, Hamilton explained that owning a McLaren F1 had been a childhood dream. “The LM has always been my ultimate dream car since I first saw it when I was 13. When I first went to McLaren it was there and I fell in love with it. There are only five LMs in existence and the normal ones – the GTR – are worth around £1 million so the LM must be double that.”

However, all is not lost for Hamilton. Should he pick up another two titles he can still win the car, based upon an agreement he made when he first joined the team.

“I want to win this car, I want to get this car off Ron. I will definitely work as hard as I can to get to number three,” stated Hamilton, having won title number one. “We made a deal: three world championships and it’s mine.”

“It’s a car that I’ve always wanted. I got a car book, a nice book for Christmas years and years ago when I was about 10, and it had the orange McLaren F1 LM on the front of it. It was my dream car then. Then I got signed up by McLaren, I went to the factory and saw it and ever since I’ve gazed at it every time I’ve walked past it.”

“Still today, it’s the only car I ever really stop by apart from Ayrton’s 1989 car. I stop by it and I always open it up and just smell it - carbon, fresh, new. It’s No 1 out of five and the most expensive and beautiful car in the whole world. It’s the one that I want.”

The LM spec McLaren was created to mark the McLaren F1 GTR’s victory at Le Mans 24 Hour in 1995. The car, with it’s V12 engine, accelerates to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. With just five examples in existance, the rare car is estimated to be worth several million pounds.

By Stephen on Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Lewis Hamilton may not be about to sit back and gift Massa the win at his home race in Brazil, but if he did, the British ace could still become world champion.

Here are the permutations that would see the McLaren ace crowned the youngest ever world champion, and the first British driver to claim the top honours since Damon Hill in 1996.

Lewis will be world champion if:
He wins
He finishes second
He finishes third
He finishes fourth
He finishes fifth
He finishes sixth and Felipe is second or lower
He finishes seventh and Felipe is second or lower
He finishes eighth and Felipe is third or lower
He fails to score and Felipe is third or lower

Felipe will be world champion if:
He wins and Lewis finishes sixth or lower
He finishes second and Lewis is eighth or lower

If the pair are tied on points on Sunday afternoon, Felipe would win the title by virtue of more victories (six to Lewis’s five) or second-place finishes (three to Lewis’s two).

By Christopher Hayes on Saturday, October 25, 2008

Lewis Hamilton is hoping an incident-free race will catapult him to victory in the world championship as he looks ahead to next week’s decisive season finale in Brazil – and daringly recalls his title meltdown in Sau Paulo last year.

How are you approaching this final, crucial weekend of the year?
“Fundamentally the same way I’ve approached the previous races. Obviously, my aim for Brazil is slightly different from the other grands prix: I don’t need to win the race, but that won’t stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible. Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back. Our aim wasn’t to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there. That’s what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil - a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving.”

What do you think of the Interlagos circuit?
“I love the circuit: it’s in this incredible natural arena that is just amazing to race on. And it’s anti-clockwise too - so it presents an additional challenge to the drivers. The track always seems to provide good, close racing: one of the reasons for that is because there’s a long straight leading up to the first corner and you can slipstream other cars and overtake into Turn One. It’s also a place where there seems to be a lot of grip so you can dice with other cars and have fun.”

What do you remember of last year’s nail-biting finale in Brazil?
“I went to Interlagos with the title battle still up in the air and all my emotions just bubbling up and down. It was a very emotional time because I knew it would end with either great success or huge disappointment. In 2007, things didn’t end up too well for me - but I still had a great first year. Everybody’s always happy to finish the season in Brazil - there’s a real party atmosphere in Sao Paulo on the Sunday night and it’s a perfect place to end such a great season.”

Sao Paulo and Interlagos have long been intertwined with the legacy of Ayrton Senna - how does that make you feel?
“Ayrton has always been my favourite driver. I think he’s the best driver there ever was and, still, to this day, I don’t believe anyone would beat him. If I could achieve just a small part of what he achieved, it would be a dream for me.”

Lewis on emulating Senna in Brazil, and the double-edged sword that awaits title rival Felipe Massa.

People have said your title rival Felipe Massa will be at an advantage racing in front of his home crowd in Sao Paulo next weekend - do you agree?

“It definitely gives you some form of boost, but it’s hard to explain exactly what that is. Nigel Mansell used to talk about it being worth a second per lap - it’s clearly not worth that much, but there is something to what he’s saying. I know that Felipe is very proud to be Brazilian, and that he’ll be pumped up to perform in front of his home crowd. And that gives you extra confidence and a mental boost for the whole weekend.

“I remember at Silverstone, earlier this year, just how much appreciation I received from the crowd and just what it meant to me. But it does bring extra pressure, too - you know you are there to entertain the people and you don’t want to disappoint them by sending them home empty-handed.”

What is it about a home track and crowd that brings out the best in a racing driver?

“I think there’s usually a familiarity with the circuit you are visiting. In my case, I’ve raced at Silverstone since I was in Formula Renault so I probably know it better than any other circuit we visit - with the possible exception of a test track like Barcelona. But it also means more to you because you’re more aware of the track’s history and what it means to racing drivers and the people who come to visit it every weekend.”

Will you miss that level of support and familiarity when you travel to Brazil next week?

“It’s funny: I didn’t think I’d see the same level of support in places like Singapore, Japan and China as I would back in Europe, but I’ve been really surprised in the last few races just how many people have been rooting for me and the team.

“In China it was really impressive: there were lots of banners and flags opposite our garage and fans cheering me onto the grid. I know that Felipe will be the crowd’s favourite at Interlagos, but I hope that the local crowds will have it in their hearts to support me as a sportsman too. I will also have my family with me next weekend - and their support is worth so much to me.”

Do you think you’ll be at a disadvantage going into the Brazilian Grand Prix?

“In terms of championship points, it can only work to my advantage to have stretched my lead over Felipe in Shanghai. But in terms of preparation, I have to look at things realistically and appreciate that I have another weekend of maximum effort ahead of me with the team.

You can still take absolutely nothing for granted: I still need to pull together a strong qualifying lap, be competitive during the race and avoid failing to finish. I know just how this sport works sometimes, so you’d be foolish to go to Brazil feeling over-confident.”

Finally, what do you think about the circuit and the country?

“I love the Brazilian people - I love their enthusiasm for life and for motorsport in general. As for the circuit: it’s got this amazing feeling when you drive in there for the first time - it has so much history. When I was growing up, my favourite driver was Ayrton Senna - in fact, he’s still my all-time hero - and to get to drive at his home circuit in a Formula 1 car was just an amazing feeling.

“I know we didn’t have the pace to win last year, but I think things could be very different this season - and I’m really looking forward to getting out on track at Interlagos and seeing where we stand.”

Source: LewisHamilton.com

By Christopher Hayes on Monday, October 20, 2008

Lewis Hamilton has accused Felipe Massa of deliberately crashing into him during the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.

The pair were scrapping on track at the chicane when Hamilton moved past Massa. The Brazilian driver fought back, taking his car over the kerb and grass before clipping the rear end of Hamilton, sending him into a spin. Massa was later given a drive-through penalty for his manoeuvre, however the move cost Hamilton any chance of a points-finish in the race.

“He outbraked me so I didn’t get past him on the way in,” Hamilton explained. “I did the corner normally and he came back very aggressively and hit me. I think that was pretty much as deliberate as can be.”

However the Ferrari driver is adamant that it was just a racing incident and there was no malicious intent there whatsoever.

“He braked very late and I braked very late,” Massa said. “Then I was a little bit wide in the first part of the corner. Then he had my inside line and pushed me a little bit wide in the gravel, and then I went with the wheels on the gravel but the next corner was on the left. Then we just touched each other so in my opinion, it was a racing incident.”

When asked if the tap he gave Hamilton was deliberate, Massa said, “For sure not! I had two wheels on the gravel. I could not stop the car and I was on the gravel because he pushed me into the gravel.”

By Forumula1.net on Monday, October 13, 2008

Lewis Hamilton, backed up by Ron Dennis, insists that his drive through penalty for outbraking himself at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix was unfair.

Hamilton, who narrowly lost out in last year’s title fight as a result of taking unnecessary risks, vowed to adopt a strategic approach to the decisive remaining races of the season.

But as the lights went out for the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji and he stormed down to the first corner, the racing instinct kicked in and it all seemed to fall away from the British ace.

“I didn’t make a great start, but I slipstreamed Kimi and went up the inside,” explained Hamilton.

He threw his McLaren down the inside of the Ferrari, in what was as much a move of evasion as it was an overtake, before outbraking himself and running wide into the corner, bunching up the field in the process and dropping to sixth behind Massa.

The incident caught the attention of the stewards, and no sooner had Hamilton been punted into a spin by Massa at the chicane - for which the Brazilian received his own reprimand - he was in the docks himself for his own startline move. Race over.

Observers will note that Formula One has seen far more aggressive startline antics in its time, and for years Michael Schumacher escaped punishment for his notorious chopping manoeuvres which were arguably equally as dangerous.

Hamilton too is adamant that he did nothing more than outbraked himself.

“I braked a bit late – but so did everybody,” he said. “A lot of cars went wide at Turn One – and I just went a bit wider than everyone else. But you can’t undo the penalty or change today’s result.”

“As far as the championship is concerned, I guess things could have been worse; but there’s no getting away from the fact that it was a disappointing weekend. However, Lewis is still five points clear in the drivers’ championship, with two races to go.”

Ferrari, perhaps not surprisingly, see differently. Kimi Raikkonen in particular was quick to express is concern with the manner in which Hamilton arrived at the first corner.

“Even if third place has put an end to a run of poor results, I am a bit disappointed because today we had the means to win. At the start, I got away well but then, at the first corner, the two McLarens arrived too fast at the braking point and prevented me from turning in, taking me off the track.”

“That lost me a lot of ground and I found myself in the middle of the pack. On top of that, the car was not quite right as I was hit by one of the McLarens: the steering was a bit light and there was other damage as well. I tried to do the best I could but I was not as quick as I’d hoped, especially in the second stint.”

Felipe Massa has also claimed innocence for his own actions. The Brazilian was also hit with a drive through penalty after coming back at Hamilton at the chicane and punting him into a spin. Massa maintains that the move was “harsh but fair” and was also quick to point out Hamilton’s over ambitious move on Raikkonen at the start.

“At the start, I got away well and had passed Alonso and Kovalainen,” he said. “Then Hamilton braked over the limit and I found myself sandwiched between one car on the inside and one on the outside and all I could do was brake and stay behind. I think the duel that followed with Hamilton was hard but fair and the drive-through really penalized my race.”

McLaren were under no allusions of just how costly the incident was, but do not believe that it will significantly alter the landscape of the world championship.

“A chaotic start and one lap later Felipe ruined Lewis’s race when he first ran wide and then cut the chicane short and pushed Lewis into a spin,” recounted Mercedes-Benz vice president Norbert Haug.

“The next grand prix will be held already next weekend and neither Felipe nor Ferrari benefited too much from today’s result. Despite Felipe’s action, Lewis still leads the drivers’ championship.”

By Christopher Hayes on Sunday, October 12, 2008