Lewis Hamilton Q&A: The car feels fantastic 08 Oct 2011
After wrangling with Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher at the last corner, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton missed out on completing a final flying lap. But however disappointed he may be feeling, Hamilton is determined to remain focused on Sunday’s race, and with the MP4-26 feeling great to drive, he’s positive…
Q: Lewis, why do you think you’re not on pole?
Lewis Hamilton: I had some troubles with other drivers in the last corner, so that resulted in my position.
Q: Will you make a complaint against Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber?
LH: No, I can still race from where I have to start. I’m still third.
Q: Can you tell us exactly what happened?
LH: Well, it was the two guys that you saw crossing the start line before me. I was entering the last corner and Mark, out of nowhere, showed up on the inside of me so I wanted to avoid crashing. Then Michael came past on my outside and went across the grass. It was an interesting moment! I couldn’t get another lap because of that.
Q: What if that had not happened? Could you be on pole?
LH: I don’t participate in any ‘what if’ speculation. What I can say is that the team has done an incredible job. This is the car we would have wished we could have had all season long and not at the end of the year. Then the season would definitely have been a different story. So the aim is to have a good race tomorrow.
Q: Does that mean that you could have been as quick as Vettel?
LH: No, that means that I was as quick as Jenson (Button). But that has been my weekend so far and hopefully it will change tomorrow.
Q: You seem to be really disappointed…
LH: No, that’s just the way it goes.
Q: The team have made a significant step forward pace wise this weekend. What made the difference?
LH: I have no idea. We haven’t brought any upgrades and used the same wing that we have had for quite a while but obviously that worked very well here. The car feels fantastic. To see us so close on such a circuit means that we are doing pretty well.
Q: The predictions are that it will be a very interesting race in terms of tyres. More pit stops are expected. You will start on the soft tyres, how long do you think they can last?
LH: I think I will be ok. I have heard that they can last between eight and 12 laps for the first stint. So strategy will play a major role tomorrow.
Q: What do you expect the start will be like?
LH: Well, I would say that our starts are generally better than those of the Red Bulls.
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