I won't abandon McLaren, says Hamilton

Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 4:13 AM Posted by Beijing News


Lewis Hamilton insisted on Friday that he will not quit McLaren despite the controversy over Formula One's 'liar-gate' scandal which could reach a dramatic conclusion next week.

Asked about next Wednesday's meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council to hear the case which has been raging since the Australian Grand Prix, world champion Hamilton said it was at the back of his mind.

"I am not thinking about it. We have a goal, we have a target and we are working towards it without distractions. I'm enjoying myself -- and I don't abandon my team when things get tough," said Hamilton, reacting to reports that he had lost the support of members of his team because he had allegedly considered leaving McLaren in the wake of the crisis.

"We've had bad and good times together and I'm happy where I am. We've got a long way to go and hopefully I've got a long, long time here. The great thing is that the guys are still very enthusiastic and working harder than ever. They seem better than they ever have been."

His affirmation of loyalty to McLaren and the team's work ethic came on the same day that new team chief Martin Whitmarsh confirmed he had written to the FIA to apologise for the affair.

The team will be at the hearing in Paris next Wednesday April 29 and it is likely that only after that - rather than Sunday's race - will Hamilton truly know if his title defence is on track or not.

If the FIA dish out a major sanction to the team it could affect his position through a points deduction or worse.

Two years ago, the team was fined for its part in the 'spy-gate' scandal and stripped of all its points in the constructors' championship.

This year's turn of events has already cost long-serving team manager Dave Ryan his job.

Meanwhile, Hamilton insists a successful defence of his title remains a realistic target for him and the McLaren-Mercedes team this season.

Despite trailing Jenson Button of Brawn GP by 17 points, following a controversial and disappointing start to the season, Hamilton believes he can recover and hang on to his crown.

The 23-year-old Englishman, who last season became the youngest champion in F1 history, said: "It's still on I think, but the other guys are a bit ahead now, quite a bit ahead. But there are 14 races to go and anything can happen.

"So, yes, I am still optimistic and I believe that if we carry on doing the best job we can, we can catch up. It not, then we can only do our best and if it is not enough then we will have to focus on next season."

It will clearly be vital for Hamilton to control Button's advantage in this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix and keep him within 'catching distance' when the F1 circus returns to Europe in two weeks' time for the Spanish Grand Prix.

In Friday practice, Hamilton said he felt he had found some improvement in his MP4-24 car, despite there being no additional revised parts being added following last weekend's use of a revised front win, floor and diffuser in Shanghai.

He said: "It does feel a bit better here, but we've not brought any updates. We're working with the set-up, at refining and fine-tuning it -- and it does feel better. We don't know what the others are doing but we feel happier with our performance.

"Of course, it's very tight. We don't know what fuel everybody's on, but we are definitely improving. But there are other guys who are a bit faster than us."





Supinsky

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)