Lewis Hamilton underplays significance of victory at 2012 Australian Grand Prix – Formula 1 news
Lewis Hamilton of McLaren has ranked his team amongst the top three or four contenders for the upcoming 2012 Formula 1 season opening at Albert Park in Melbourne this weekend.
However, he underplays the significance of victory on the first Grand Prix at Australia, this season.
Red Bull Racing and McLaren are deemed to be the favourites for the first race after their strong pre-season testing programmes. Nevertheless, Hamilton didn’t rule-out the chances of Mercedes and Lotus while he was quite confident that his team would be
competent in the race.
“Looking at the data on the long runs it looks like we are in the top three or four in terms with our long-run pace and how we deal with [tyre] degradation,” he said. “I've not been on low fuel so I don't know how we compare to others on low fuel and I don't
think we'll find out until Saturday. I'm expecting Lotus to be quite quick, I'm expecting Red Bull to be quick and I have a feeling that Mercedes will be fast, also Ferrari.”
Hamilton could not perform at his best during the last season because of the clash between his personal and professional life. Although, this season he expressed that he had decided to make the sacrifice in his private life for F1.
Moreover, when he was asked that whether he expected a better season ahead as compared to the preceding one, he responded that he did not expect anything and was just keeping his focus on performing at his best.
In addition, he said that to manage consistency in the performance was crucial throughout the season as he had a good start during the last season but it did not help in adding up till the end while he underplayed the importance of a win at the first GP.
The top contenders had lost the rear downforce this season as a result of the FIA’s ban on the exhaust-blown diffusers. Nonetheless, Hamilton said that McLaren’s overall standing in the championship ahead was stronger as compared to other rivals which mainly
include the defending champions, Red Bull.
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