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."
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."
