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Hamilton to learn from Shanghai low
By Yu Lijie (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-16 10:16 SHANGHAI - Lewis Hamilton was a hair's breadth from securing his first world championship here in his rookie season last year but crashed out of the race and squandered a massive 17-point lead in the driver standings.
Now at his second Shanghai Grand Prix, again as championship leader, he is ready to learn from the mistake that triggered a late meltdown last year and drive an error-free race. "There is always some experiences that build you as a person and add to your character," the McLaren-Mercedes driver said of last year's painful withdrawal during a promotion for technical partner Mobil 1. "That was not the end of the world." Hamilton would have secured the championship in the Chinese financial hub provided he finished the Shanghai race in the top eight and ahead of then teammate Fernando Alonso. Briton Lewis Hamilton answers questions at a press conference on Tuesday in Shanghai. Gongguan However, the Briton and his team approached the race too riskily and wore out tires before pit stop. The incident was a big blow to then sizzling rookie driver, who made no mistakes before coming to Shanghai in his astonishing and record-breaking debut season. But the 23-year-old son of a Caribbean immigrant said he is not haunted by the memory and believes the experience was vital to his development. "Having such a fantastic year, it was a good time to have an experience like that because it prepared me to come here for this race," the 23-year-old said of this weekend's return event. Ahead of it he is in a similar position to what he was in last year: He had previously won four titles before; he can still become the youngest champion in Formula One history and has an opportunity to secure the title with one race remaining. "It's another opportunity to prove myself in Shanghai," he said. "I have a great opportunity (to win the championship)." "My confidence is not knocked and it is not different (with previous races)," he added. "I still come here with confidence, perhaps with more humility." Hamilton stressed he and his team would not push the envelope too much to secure more points but play things safely. "I hope with the same approach, we can do a better job this weekend," he said. "I hope this time in Shanghai will be better than last year." After a disappointing weekend in Fuji, Japan, where he incurred drive-through penalties with title contender Felipe Massa of Ferrari and scored no points, Hamilton said he can't wait to race in Shanghai in front of a swelling fan club. "It's great to be back. There were more fans in the airport and I am more excited," he said. "I had not so great a weekend in Fuji. But I learned from the experience and I am still positive." Hamilton is sitting on 84 points, five ahead of Massa. BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica is in third with 72 points followed by defending champion Kimi Raikkonen on 63. Hamilton's McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen is fifth with 51 points. In constructor standings, Ferrari leads McLaren Mercedes by seven points. Former champions urge Hamilton to keep his cool Britons Jackie Stewart and Damon Hill have told compatriot Lewis Hamilton he must keep his cool in the season's last two races if he is to join them as a Formula One champion. The 23-year-old McLaren driver leads Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa by five points and could become the sport's youngest champion if circumstances favour him in China this weekend. However Hamilton failed to score in Japan on Sunday, reviving fears that history may be repeating itself after he allowed a commanding lead to slip through his fingers at the same stage last year. "This was not his finest hour," triple champion Stewart told the RBS website (www.rbssport.com/f1), commenting on Hamilton's wild start and subsequent drive-through penalty at Fuji. "His approach in that first corner was slightly arrogant to other drivers. "The Japanese race demonstrated that Lewis is still very young, in only his second season, and although he comes across as very cool in interviews, he doesn't always have the same level of mind management when he's racing. "Lewis Hamilton can still win the championship, but not if he drives the last two races the way he drove in Japan." Both leading contenders have struggled for consistency in the final run to the title, with Massa finishing seventh in Japan and failing to score in the previous race in Singapore due to a team blunder at his first pitstop. Renault's Fernando Alonso, the double world champion who was Hamilton's team mate and foe at McLaren in 2007, has won the last two races. Hamilton had scored 107 points by this stage last year but currently leads with just 84. Whoever wins the title will end up with the lowest overall tally by a champion since Ferrari's now-retired Michael Schumacher triumphed with 93 points in 2003. "If Lewis keeps a cool head, then he'll be fine. I think he will get the job done," Hill, Britain's last champion with Williams in 1996, told BBC radio. "There is no question about his speed or ability, he just needs to stay cool and let it happen. "Lewis is impatient to win that first title but you can't force it. "It is a mark of Lewis's career that he's always been very keen to get the job done and move on, and you need that impatience. But it can sometimes trip you up if you're not wary."
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