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Formula 1
F1: I’m More Relaxed Than Ever, Says Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton comes into the 2012 season with a fresh outlook...
Lewis Hamilton continues to impress in qualifying. (Photo: Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton says he feels better prepared than he ever has during the build-up to a season.
The 2008 champ is happy with the MP4-27 and especially the development package run at the end of testing in Barcelona.
“I actually feel more relaxed and ready for the new season than I think I’ve ever done,” said Hamilton. “Everything has gone smoothly with the car – which is more than we can say for last year – and it just seems to be a responsive and reliable package. My final day in the car – with the aero package we plan to run next weekend – also felt good. The car was a useful step forward.
“Of course, we haven’t tested it in competition yet, but there’s plenty to feel optimistic about. It’s a bit weird to have driven the car for a whole month and still not done a really fast lap – I guess we’ll really find the limit next Saturday. Obviously, this is always the time of year when you’re feeling positive, but we’ve got plenty to look forward to. I’m going to get off the plane in Australia with a big smile on my face.”
Hamilton implied that he didn’t expect McLaren to be the pacesetter in the short term: “It’s a realistic aim: To score some useful points and use the race to kickstart our challenge for the World Championship. That might sound like we’re aiming low – we’re not – but, at this time of year, it’s good to remember that it’s going to be a very long season.
“There’s no point putting all your eggs in one basket – I’d love to win in Melbourne, sure, but there are 19 races afterwards, so it’ll be important to get some points on the board. As long as I can leave Australia feeling confident that we have a car that’s able to fight for the title, then I’ll feel happy. It’s as simple as that.”
Meanwhile, teammate Jenson Button admitted that he doesn’t know how the form book looks.
“I’m happy with our preparations,” said Button. “You always want more laps and more time in the car, but, unlike last year, we’ve had a very solid start to our preseason. It’s been very difficult to read pace over the winter because a lot of teams have been playing their cards close to their chests. I think it’s going to be extremely close, and I can’t wait to find out where we sit in the pecking order.”
Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.
The 2008 champ is happy with the MP4-27 and especially the development package run at the end of testing in Barcelona.
“I actually feel more relaxed and ready for the new season than I think I’ve ever done,” said Hamilton. “Everything has gone smoothly with the car – which is more than we can say for last year – and it just seems to be a responsive and reliable package. My final day in the car – with the aero package we plan to run next weekend – also felt good. The car was a useful step forward.
“Of course, we haven’t tested it in competition yet, but there’s plenty to feel optimistic about. It’s a bit weird to have driven the car for a whole month and still not done a really fast lap – I guess we’ll really find the limit next Saturday. Obviously, this is always the time of year when you’re feeling positive, but we’ve got plenty to look forward to. I’m going to get off the plane in Australia with a big smile on my face.”
Hamilton implied that he didn’t expect McLaren to be the pacesetter in the short term: “It’s a realistic aim: To score some useful points and use the race to kickstart our challenge for the World Championship. That might sound like we’re aiming low – we’re not – but, at this time of year, it’s good to remember that it’s going to be a very long season.
“There’s no point putting all your eggs in one basket – I’d love to win in Melbourne, sure, but there are 19 races afterwards, so it’ll be important to get some points on the board. As long as I can leave Australia feeling confident that we have a car that’s able to fight for the title, then I’ll feel happy. It’s as simple as that.”
Meanwhile, teammate Jenson Button admitted that he doesn’t know how the form book looks.
“I’m happy with our preparations,” said Button. “You always want more laps and more time in the car, but, unlike last year, we’ve had a very solid start to our preseason. It’s been very difficult to read pace over the winter because a lot of teams have been playing their cards close to their chests. I think it’s going to be extremely close, and I can’t wait to find out where we sit in the pecking order.”
Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.
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