Wednesday 25th June 2008
The pressure currently on Lewis Hamilton has been likened to that on Michael Schumacher's shoulders as he hit the headlines.
Hamilton has failed to score any points in the last two grands prix after taking the Formula One World Championship lead following a superb victory in Monaco.
Hamilton now finds himself 10 points off the pace being set by Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
Mistakes of his own making, combined with penalties imposed by the stewards, have hit Hamilton hard, and they are starting to cost him dear.
Hamilton turned on the media at the weekend for their criticism of him following his gaffe in Canada when he ran into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari in the pit lane.
But Honda team principal Ross Brawn, who nurtured seven-times World Champion Schumacher through the growing pains of F1, feels 23-year-old Hamilton needs to focus on what is important.
"The driving is the thing that will carry him through whatever else happens," said Brawn.
"He's got to focus on his driving, concentrate on that, and everything else will take care of itself."
Speaking to BBC Sport, he added: "We all tend to forget how young he is, and how this is all lots of new experiences for him.
"I was fortunate enough to be with Michael Schumacher when he went through this learning curve, and it was no different.
"The attention that these young guys get is enormous pressure, and something that no-one can really help them with.
"No-one can really advise them what they should be doing. So they have to learn the hard way and learn themselves."
Although Brawn is convinced Hamilton will one day be champion, he is backing former team Ferrari to triumph again this season.
The 57-year-old, who helped Ferrari win six Constructors' titles and Schumacher five Drivers' crowns as technical director with the team from 1997 to 2006, added: "Ferrari look very tough.
"Lewis is certainly capable of being a World Champion. It's just a question of how the car goes and how the dice roll."
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