Eurosport - Wed, 24 Sep 10:42:00 2008
Lewis Hamilton has said he is not thinking about the Formula One World Championship even though there are only four races left.
The 23-year-old Briton arrives in Singapore this week with a one-point lead over Felipe Massa - pending the outcome of his appeal hearing into the Belgium Grand Prix - as the championship enters its final phase with six drivers still mathematically in the hunt.
"I don't think about the title or the other drivers, I just think about doing the best job I can each time I get into the car," the McLaren driver told F1's official website.
"Clearly a number of drivers can still win the title and so I have to make sure that I do my best.
"I don't bank on anything other than myself and my team. I am focused on my challenge and my racing."
Realistically the race for the championship is between Hamilton (78 points) and Massa (77), although Robert Kubica (64), Kimi Raikkonen (57), Nick Heidfeld (53), and Heikki Kovalainen (51) are still contenders.
Much will depend on whether Hamilton can get his victory at Spa-Francorchamps reinstated after race stewards controversially docked him 25 seconds, demoting him to third.
The Briton was found guilty of gaining an advantage by cutting a chicane as he duelled with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in the closing stages of this month's race.
The decision, which awarded Massa victory in Belgium, cost Hamilton four world championship points.
Should his appeal succeed and he is named the Belgian GP winner with Massa put back to second, then he will extend his advantage to seven points.
The points will be a much-needed boost after a poor performance at the last grand prix in Italy, where he made an error in his choice of tyres for qualifying which saw him finish way down the grid.
He ended up seventh in the race, with Massa sixth.
However, Hamilton - who had a sensational rookie season last year, when he finished second in the championship behind Massa's Ferrari team-mate Raikkonen - said he had put it behind him.
"Of course it wasn't the result I was looking for going into the weekend, but part of the charm of Formula One is that it is unpredictable," he said.
"As I said after the race, I was more relieved than anything to come away with some points. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the race."
Asked if it would affect his preparations for Singapore, the sport's first-ever night race, he replied: "The Monza result doesn't mean anything for the next race.
"Each race is different, but I prepare the same for them all. I am looking forward to the race and I'm sure it will be an exciting weekend."
Comment 96 - 115 of 115
yusry y, your take on Lewis and the British Press & Vettel is perfect. Reminds me of an F-1 race where the local TV crews kept their cameras on a 5th place car from their own country, ignoring the brilliant drive at the front.
yusry y -- the reason it's the hamilton "fans" that play the race card is very simple... the best defence is the offence... they have no other means of defending this lad's arrogance, lack of responsiblity and respect, therefore they look for 'visible' excuses, which don't seem to exist EXCEPT in their own minds... all you have to do is look at the comments they post that are blatantly racist when speaking of ferrari, tifosi and the fia (referring to it as the MA-fia)... yup, it's pretty sad if you ask me...
he's not a good representative of the other drivers on the grid...
he is a good driver
hey, do you think that hamilton's not thinking about the title because he has his fingers in his ears and he can't do the two things at once??
yusry y -- sounds to me like you and hamilton don't have any "fans" in common!! hmmm could it be because you aren't foaming at the mouth whilst awaiting with bated breath for the next pearl of arrogance to drop from his lips?? yup, i'd say so... btw, can you answer my question?? hamilton who??
m.e.jenner... all those other 'strange creatures' you refer to are not from planet garbage, rather they seem to make a beeline of support towards garage mclaren... =;-))
yusry y, i seriously cant believe what I have read from you. It is total and utter brilliance. Everything you say is true. Maybe these sad bitter bad losers might try opening their eyes or at least wiping them to see the real world.
rav a... you might be right about all the things he's losing... i'd like to point out, however, that his arrogance seems to be on the rise... don'tcha think??
i`ll ram you from behind-in the red light district-----call lewis on 0845555BRITShit
Vivian was woken in the night —by Lewis talking in his dreams.
“He wasn’t talking about me, or our fairtyale evening... He was chatting about Formula One! In his dream he was being interviewed about a race and I heard him say ‘BMW overtaking’. I don’t know if he won but he sounded very excited".HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA........
The only people who ever mention Lewis Hamilton's colour on this site are his idiot fans like you.
We never call his ethnicity into the debate as it is unimportant. Hamilton was booed because he is a prize @#$%. Schumacher got booed when he strategically overtook Barrichello to claim a win, was that because everyone dislikes Germans? No.
you are a cretin, a bigot and a fool. The more you talk, the more you prove you know nothing.
hey "roy.allsopp; i know i make a few mistakes in written English but I was born , raised and i still live in a country where English it's not the native tongue. Just to set the record straight English is the fourth language i can speak and so i think i'm allowed to make mistakes such as confusing only once "who" with "how" don't worry i know they have completely different meaning. look at u instead; i would rather make sentences full of grammatical errors that at least express something than make sentences grammatically correct that have ABSOLUTELY NO MEANING! yeah u got it i'm referring to you!
78. Humour without abuse - how refreshing - where do all those other strange creatures come from? - Planet Garbage perhaps !
Yusry.y Thank goodness that we can report abuse. Bye Bye pathetic person.
To yusry y, I was always taught to keep English language short and simple, you at least managed the last requirement, Simple; three expletives, three spelling errors, seven grammatical errors. Plus factually incorrect, sad sack is not the word.
Real formula 1 fans like me can see that this hamilton is a real loser, a waste of space. A real representation of a talent is Vettel, or kubica, When they get good cars i'm sure Hamilton won't be winning any races let alone a championship.
And his "Fans", still can't see what a @#$% he is !!!!
Three times did that @#$% try to run other drivers off the road! And still he is cocky. If I was Mark Webber I would have paid him a little visit and wiped the floor with his cocky @#$%. He doesn't belong in F1. What the hell is special about him? Like some of you said, his way into F1 has been paved. Straight into the best car, unlike other drivers who usually have to prove their skills in the back of the grid. He is ONE LUCKY @#$% to be where he's at. But still he loses, and has to cheat! Cut chicanes! Big words to the media! Words about having balls, words that his sissy little body can't back up. I used to like McLaren, many years ago, when it was Berger and Senna, but sadly many things have changed in F1. However, I will continue to watch, because there are many likeable drivers (not Hamilton) and more fighting in the championship now than ever.
So really, Hamilton should have trounced Ferrari this weekend and made a bigger gap to Massa.
But no, Lewis Shitheadton still is too arrgant to admit they had a terrible weekend, screwed up left, right and centre and missed a huge chance to take a bigger lead in the championship.
That is why we are 'haters' - there is so much to justifiably hate.
I am still sickened by the way Hamilton's 'I'm amazing/I could have won/I'm great in the wet' @#$% is getting more attention in the British media than Vettel's stunning victory in a minnows team car.
The BBC said on the news headlines last night just "Lewis Hamilton came 7th in the Italian GP" - not even a mention of Vettel.
As a lover of the sport I am disgusted with the way the media are only interested in the arrogant, vain, error-prone, balding, gap-toothed @#$% Hamilton and won't give us coverage of all drivers and teams.
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