Lewis Hamilton is still very confident in his teams potential even though all reports, including McLaren’s, have them down the grid for Australia’s season opener. Lewis explained to British Newspaper journalists:
“I’ve driven for Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes for two years and, in both those seasons, the team has developed a fantastic car,” he told a group of British newspaper journalists.
“At the moment, this year’s car is a little behind the rest in terms of development but I’m absolutely confident we will get stronger and grow as the year progresses.
“I have complete faith in my team. They are working so hard at the moment, putting in incredible hours and massive effort. And I’ll do my bit too. Heikki [Kovalainen] and I will work together to improve the car’s pace. We’re totally committed to working with the team to develop the best car possible.”
“My plan is to be at the front of the grid in Melbourne,” said Hamilton. “But if I’m not able to start the Australian Grand Prix from the front of the grid, I’ll still race my heart out. I can’t wait to get back racing.”
“Losing the championship because you’ve never had it before is definitely harder than the possibility of losing the status that comes with it,” he said.
“Now that I’ve won it, I can be very appreciative that I had a great opportunity, that I had a great car and a great team that did a great job. I’ve got to be mindful of the fact that you can’t do it all the time.
“Some people win one; some win two or three. I don’t know how many I will win, but I know that I’m just as determined as ever.
“But the energy behind that determination is managed differently. Rather than just being aggressive, it’s a much happier balance because I’ve not got stresses from anywhere.
“Things are good; sponsors are happy, my boss is happy, so I’m getting positive energy from all these different people.”
I have no doubt that Lewis will be fighting his heart out. He is, if anything else, a fighter on the track. His passion is to lead and win. That is very clear and I think his response was very good and very measured. McLaren will not go quietly and their development will be astounding if the car is not up to snuff in Oz. Lewis will drive his heart out but this may be a good year for Lewis to learn car development skills as well.
