No lazing on beach for frontrunner Lewis

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton has no intention of lazing on a beach as Formula One takes its annual European summer break following his resounding triumph in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Instead, he plans to finetune his physical and mental fitness in readiness to turn up the heat in his closely fought title duel with Sebastian Vettel next month.

The defending champion, who opened up a 24-point lead over his fellow four-time titleholder by winning Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix for a record sixth time, said he wanted to come back stronger and to apply more pressure.

“The second half of the season is always intense, but it is usually when it gets a bit better on our side,” he said, referring to his Mercedes team, in the aftermath of their polished triumph at the Hungaroring.

“So we will go away and prepare and make sure we come back stronger.”

Hamilton’s victory was a near-perfect send-off for him and Mercedes as the F1 circus set off for a four-week shutdown that will end when the teams return to action in Belgium at the end of August.

After his epic success in the rain in Germany, where he won from 14th on the grid, his Hungarian victory was another blow to Vettel, and Ferrari, after two race weekends they may prefer to forget.

Despite superior speed in practice, they were unable to claim the result they craved in a dark week that followed the death of the team’s former chairman Sergio Marchionne.

But Hamilton warned that, with nine races remaining, more epic contests lay ahead.

“Absolutely not,” he said, dismissing the idea that he was closing in on a fifth title.

“It is far too early. We’ve been ahead, then behind, then ahead.” –