Hamilton win puts more strain on teammate
INDIANAPOLIS: Lewis Hamilton's US Grand Prix victory on Sunday will only fuel the tension between him and McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso.
The 22-year-old British rookie's back-to-back wins in Canada and the United States, and seven podium finishes from his first seven races, stretched his overall lead over the Spanish double world champion to 10 points.
Hamilton has become the man of the moment while Alonso has been pushed out of the limelight to the point where they arrived in Indianapolis amid talk of cracks appearing in their relationship as teammates.
"Do I expect more speculation about our guys and their relationship? Yes," said McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh after the team's third one-two of the season.
"The reality is both our guys are winners, they want to win.
"If Fernando got out of the car and said he was delighted Lewis beat him today, I would be very worried.
"It can be a distraction but at the moment it isn't. But when you have two competitive drivers they're always going to have a go at each other," he added.
"There's a lot a pressure on Fernando to have someone as young and as confident and seemingly invincible as Lewis is.
"Fernando is a phenomenal competitor and it's still a long season and he's still aiming to win the world championship."
The Spaniard conceded nothing to his British teammate afterwards, other than being surprised by his brilliant debut.
"It has been a surprise for me and a surprise for everybody to see him (Hamilton) doing so well and leading the championship at this point," said the 25-year-old. "But I have big confidence.
"We only did seven races, 10 to go. So I'm very happy with my 48 points and the championship will be decided at the end."
Qualify of team
McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton (left) celebrates with teammate Fernando Alonso after winning the United States F1 Grand Prix in Indianapolis on Sunday. Reuters |
On Sunday, Hamilton paid a rich tribute to the quality of his McLaren Mercedes-Benz team after winning the US Grand Prix.
"What a dream!" he said. "To come to these two races (in Canada and in the U.S.) and win first time out twice is just amazing. But this is really due to the quality of the team back in Europe and here at the track. Without all the guys, it would be impossible.
"I could see a lot of British flags here and that gave me great energy, I draw a lot from them," said a remarkably cool Hamilton after the race.
"I came under a lot of pressure from Fernando today and it was very close at times, but he was so professional.
"We raced really hard. My tires went off in the second stint. I think they were graining, probably because I pushed too hard! They came on the radio in the third stint and told me there are 15 laps to go and those laps seemed to last forever."
Alonso, crestfallen, managed to embrace Hamilton with a smile after the race. He said: "I got close, sometimes very close, but not close enough to overtake him. On this track it is very difficult to pass and if you chasing a car in front like I was then you wear your tyres a lot more."
He added that he was glad to score eight points and keep his championship campaign alive and said he was now looking forward to the French Grand Prix in two weeks time.
The closest that Alonso came to passing his teammate and rival was on lap 38 when the pair went side by side on the main straight at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but Hamilton, as he did at the start when he made the most of his second pole position, resisted the pressure and did not make a mistake.
Father's Day gift
His father Anthony Hamilton said: "I know it is Father's Day at home in Britain so this is fantastic for me - but I can honestly say I can hardly believe it. He was so cool, under so much pressure and he learned a lot.
"We are both homesick now after being away for two weeks and we both want to go home and see the family. I hope we can have some time together next weekend and maybe crack open the champagne then!"
Hamilton's accomplished performance underlined his extraordinary talent. After seven races in Formula One he has yet to finish off the podium.
The Indianapolis crowd was estimated to be more than 100,000 and, judging by the amount of replica McLaren team uniforms on display, Hamilton had struck a chord with the American people who are keen to compare him to another ground-breaking Afro-Caribbean sportsman, Tiger Woods.
While comparisons with Woods may be premature, it is clear that Hamilton has the potential to become the first rookie world champion since Italian Nino Farina in 1950, the first championship year.
His performance, from lights to flag, was that of a consummate winner again and after crossing the line he told his team on their radio system: "We brought it home! We did it guys. I love you all. Fantastic job."
Agencies
(China Daily 06/19/2007 page24)
