Hamilton eagerly waiting to drive in 2011 Indian GP

Hamilton eagerly waiting to drive in 2011 Indian GP

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton today said he was looking forward to drive in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix to be held in Greater Noida on October 30 next year. "It''s going to be incredible experience for me (driving in Indian Grand Prix).

There were hardly any fans at the Turkey Grand Prix. But with the huge number of fans and support in India, I look forward to it (participating in the Indian Grand Prix)," said Hamilton, who is on his third visit to India for a promotional event.

The ace Formula One driver was, who was flown straight from the Chennai airport to the Madras Motorsport Race Track here, drove the Rs 2.4 crore Mercedes AMG on the track as part of the event. Asked about his chances of winning this year''s World Championship title, Hamilton, who is currently second in the drivers standings, said anything can happen as there are still five races to go.

"Its very challenging with strong competition, but there are still chances of winning the title with five races to go," he said. Asked how he felt to drive along side seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher he said, "Wow! It''s great.

It is an honour to drive along with him." Around 10 people, who won a contest conducted by Vodafone, were individually taken for a drive by Hamilton on the race track.

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We're still on track says hamilton

We're still on track says hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has quickly put a positive spin on his most negative weekend of the season.

As McLaren team-mate Jenson Button remarked following the Italian Grand Prix, the current campaign feels like a merry-go-round, with the five title contenders stepping on and off with each race that passes.

"If going into the race you had said I wouldn't finish but I would be in this position, I wouldn't have believed it," said Hamilton.

"I'm obviously very fortunate everyone didn't score the best. We're still in a fighting position, so we could afford one mistake.

"So I'm still looking ahead. I always want to go forwards. I never want to make steps backwards.

"In this race I didn't step back, I just didn't step anywhere. It's not often I don't make my steps forwards, but I can't always get it right."

"I feel I'm better equipped now to deal with something like this than perhaps was the case a few years ago," added Hamilton.

"Of course it's mistakes like the one I made that can be the deciding factor in world championships, win or lose.

"But it's also how you carry yourself, how you pick yourself up, how you recover and how you bounce back that also determines, shapes a world champion.

"So I hope it's with these experiences that I continue to grow and improve."

"Of course, you always kick yourself when you make a mistake," said Hamilton.

"You kick yourself more than anyone can kick you, regardless of if your boss comes up to you and says 'well, we're all disappointed, but this is motor racing and you're still great blah blah blah'.

"Regardless of that you still kick yourself hard. It's just the way some people deal with it, and that's how I deal with it.

"If I hadn't have done what I did, I probably wouldn't be who I am because I do push, and that's me as a racing driver. That's how I do it."

"That's the exciting thing - five drivers," said Button, speaking to Press Association Sport.

"Every race we go to people are going to be looking at qualifying, the end result of the race and trying to understand which direction it's going to go.

"It's like a merry-go-round at the moment, and we're all stepping off and stepping back on. It's pretty complicated, exciting, good for the sport, and I love it.

"We're all out there to win this championship, but the people who don't win it are going to get a lot of respect this year for being part of that challenge - hopefully I won't be one of them!

"But you know what I mean, people will sit down and think 'wow, those guys really fought it out to the end', and that's going to be exciting."

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Sorry Hamilton focuses on title fight

Sorry Hamilton focuses on title fight

Lewis Hamilton was left apologising to his McLaren team following a first-lap crash of an Italian Grand Prix weekend to forget.

Hamilton admitted to making a mistake after qualifying with regard to his set-up after choosing the wrong path in comparison to team-mate Jenson Button.

"I made a good start, gained a position, got up to fourth, and at that moment perhaps I should have just stayed there for a while," said Hamilton.

"But I put my car up the inside of Felipe trying to get third, and that was probably a little bit too much.

"I was trying to position the car in a certain way, but I was too close to Felipe and his left rear clipped my right front.

"The car was damaged after that, and there was nothing I could do. You try your best, but some things just don't go your way.

"It's a shame, and I want to say sorry to the team.

"But the championship certainly isn't over, although I have to admit that days like this one don't help."

"It was a very tough race mentally, and it was tricky holding off the challenge from behind," said Button of Alonso.

"I spent the first half of the race either looking in my mirrors or at the TV screens to see where Fernando was.

"Maybe it was the wrong call to pit when we did, but the team felt the new prime (harder) tyres were faster than the options (softer).

"But I couldn't find any grip on the new tyres, and lost a little bit of time on them. When I saw Fernando emerge just ahead of me, I was very disappointed.

"Overall we didn't quite have the pace to win. But this weekend was definitely a good one.

"I scored some good points, and this second place is very useful for my world championship hopes.

"There's still everything to play for over the next five races."

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Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton latest galary

Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton latest galary

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Hamilton planning to lead the F1 championship

Hamilton planning to lead the F1 championship

McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton is confident that he would win Sunday's Italian Grand Prix to up the pressure in the championship fight.

Hamilton, who won last month's Grand Prix in Belgium, said: "This race is a really good opportunity for me. I will be going all out for the win."I am looking for every point I can get now," The Sun quoted Hamilton, as saying.

The 25-year-old further said that he is relishing being in the thick of the action as the five-way championship title battle enters its closing stages.

Hamilton currently holds a three-point lead in the drivers' championship over Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Webber is followed teammate Sebastian Vettel, McLaren's Jenson Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

"The gap at the top of the championship is nothing. I've not been in this position before, where so many drivers are in the hunt," Hamilton said.It's a world championship, the most intense competition I've ever experienced, and I love it," he added.

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Ferrari poised for orders hearing

Ferrari poised for orders hearing

Alonso faces the prospect of being stripped of his controversial German Grand Prix victory as Ferrari stand accused of using team orders, which are banned in Formula One, to engineer the result.

Should such a punishment be meted out, Alonso would drop be 66 points adrift of current championship leader Lewis Hamilton instead of 41.That point was emphasised by reigning champion Jenson Button, who told said: "I don't think the drivers will get a penalty.

"If they do get another penalty it will be for the team because it was an order from the team.

"Personally I don't understand why they just don't swap the points around for those two, but you can't do that within the regulations."

"If one wants to fulfil the needs of the audience, then one must maintain the ban," said Mosley.

"Both cars and both drivers should lose the points they achieved in the German Grand Prix."

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Button back on his way to bounce

Button back on his way to bounce

Jenson Button is determined to put himself back into the world championship race at Monza after his disappointment in Belgium.

The reigning champion lost ground to his main rivals, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber, as they finished first and second in the Belgian GP while Button retired from the race after being taken out by Sebastian Vettel.

As a result, the Briton now trails his team-mate by 35 points in the drivers' championship. But, with 150 points still to race for, Button is by no means out of the running and hopes to prove that at next weekend's Italian GP.

"Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn't ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title," he said.

"Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging - we're developing the car at a very rapid rate, and we're learning more about it all the time, so I'm optimistic that we'll be able to maintain that form in Italy next weekend.

"We still have some work to do to make sure the package we bring to Italy is perfectly suited to the track, but I'm confident that our engineers have made some good steps forward with their understanding of our car, so we should be in good shape.

"I love racing at Monza - it's a totally unique experience; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff.

"Given the competitiveness at the front of the field, this could be an intense, thrilling grand prix."

Jenson Button is determined to put himself back into the world championship race at Monza after his disappointment in Belgium.

The reigning champion lost ground to his main rivals, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber, as they finished first and second in the Belgian GP while Button retired from the race after being taken out by Sebastian Vettel.

As a result, the Briton now trails his team-mate by 35 points in the drivers' championship. But, with 150 points still to race for, Button is by no means out of the running and hopes to prove that at next weekend's Italian GP.

"Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn't ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title," he said.

"Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging - we're developing the car at a very rapid rate, and we're learning more about it all the time, so I'm optimistic that we'll be able to maintain that form in Italy next weekend.

"We still have some work to do to make sure the package we bring to Italy is perfectly suited to the track, but I'm confident that our engineers have made some good steps forward with their understanding of our car, so we should be in good shape.

"I love racing at Monza - it's a totally unique experience; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff.

"Given the competitiveness at the front of the field, this could be an intense, thrilling grand prix."

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