Hamilton says he feels stronger than ever
SOCHI, Russia: Lewis Hamilton dismissed talk of having one hand on his fifth Formula One championship on Thursday but warned rival Sebastian Vettel that he felt stronger than ever and in a better position than last year.
The Mer c ede s driver, 40 points clear of Ferrari’s German with six races remaining, sounded relaxed as he faced reporters at the Russian Grand Prix.
“I don’t think you ever have one hand on it,” he smiled.
“You either have both hands on it or you don’t.
“There’s still a long way to go and a lot of points available.”
T h e Briton said, however, that a lot of things, largely i nv i s ibl e to anyone outside the t e a m, had made the dif ference compared to last season; improved relationships and communication, health and time management.
“Healthier, happier and stronger than ever,”
There’s still a long way to go and a lot of points available. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ British driver
Hamilton said of himself. Mercedes have yet to be beaten in four Russian Grands Prix, with Hamilton winning two of them, but Vettel started on pole position last year in a race won by Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton arrives this time on the back of four triumphs in five races. Another victory on Sunday would be his eighth of the campaign and leave him in a position to take the title without having to win again. The Briton said if it had taken time to work up to his current level of performance, that was because he had started the season still exploring the car’s complexities and how to get more out of it than even the team imagined possible. The Russian Grand Prix was held in April last year, with Hamilton finishing fourth, but the schedule change means Mercedes come to Sochi with the car and driver much more in tune. “I really do believe this weekend we will be in a better position than we were last year,” said Hamilton. “Our understanding is far greater of the tyre than it was last year when we arrived here. “It’s still a challenge to get right. We will take our understanding of last year with a pinch of salt because the car is different and we’ve got a different tyre this weekend. We’ll be faced with different challenges, I would assume.” — Reuters