Monday, May 12, 2008

LEWIS : IT'S NOT ABOUT WINNING - NEWS

Sunday 11th May 2008

Lewis Hamilton may have missed out on the victory in Turkey but the McLaren driver says for him his second-placed finish still gave him that winning feeling.

Hamilton has failed to win a grand prix since Australia, instead having to watch as rivals Ferrari clinched four on the trot and took a commanding lead in both Championship races.

However, instead of getting down on himself about his current situation, Hamilton is finding comfort from other aspects of his racing.

"I am so thrilled with today's result, and I think this is the best race ever for me. It's not about winning, it's about feeling that you extract 100% from yourself and the car and I did that today," Hamilton said.

"Before the race our prediction was that all being well I would finish fifth, so second is such a bonus."

And he secured that second place using a risky three-stop strategy, which McLaren opted to employ after falling short of pole position in Saturday's qualifying and experiencing severe tyre problems earlier in the weekend.

"I was not happy with my performance yesterday and perhaps if I had managed to get the car on pole I could have won," he added.

"However, we knew that we would have to use a three stop strategy as a precaution as we had some issues with our tyres.

"The team did a fantastic job, the pitstops were great, and the balance of the car was superb, and we all kept our spirit up. There were no problems with the tyres in the race.

"I managed to overtake Felipe at one point, and I really think we have closed the gap to Ferrari."

The 23-year-old has now set his sights on Monte Carlo, a race that should suit the McLaren MP4-23. "I am so excited about the next race in Monaco and just can't wait."

After five races Hamilton is third in the Championship, tied on 28 points with Felipe Massa. The duo trail Kimi Raikkonen by seven points.

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