Lewis Hamilton says troubles are over as he relishes a fresh beginning Down Under

After problems on and off track in 2011, McLaren driver enters season opener in Australia with new belief.
In gear: Lewis Hamilton in Melbourne today ahead of the new Formula One season
15 March 2012

Lewis Hamilton today claimed he had put his ­nightmare season behind him and insisted he was still living the Formula One dream.

Hamilton comes to Sunday’s ­Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the new title chase, knowing he has it all to prove after a frustrating 2011 in which he was beaten by a McLaren team-mate for the first time during his five-year career.

Indeed, Hamilton was left languishing fifth in the last season’s championship, 165 points behind title winner Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull, and 43 points in arrears of runner-up team-mate Jenson Button.

His campaign was tarnished by a number of crashes, and an on‑off relationship with American pop star Nicole Scherzinger meant the Briton was constantly in the public spotlight leaving him little time and space in which to concentrate on racing.

Senior paddock observers wonder if Hamilton still has the drive and commitment needed to rediscover the form that carried him to a sensational victory in the 2008 world championship, especially given the strength of opposition from within his own team offered by Button.

But ahead of tomorrow’s opening practice session around the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne the 27-year-old seemed brimming with enthusiasm for the task ahead, stressing: “I’m happy to be here, and I still feel quite ­privileged to be in F1. It’s my sixth year and I’m still one of the very few drivers in the world that gets to do this job. I’m constantly having to pinch myself that I’m still here. I’m still living my dream and doing what I love doing. I’m very happy, and in a good place.”

How good won’t be known until around 8am London time on Sunday when the chequered flag will be about to fall Down Under.

As to the race outcome, Hamilton does not believe a lot can be read into pre-season testing, ominously dominated by Red Bull, saying: “When I looked at all the data on long runs it looked like we were in the top three or four.

“But I didn’t run on low fuel (which would have produced faster lap times) and we’re not sure if the others were or not. What I am expecting is Lotus to be quite quick, and I’m expecting Red Bull to be quick, and I have a feeling Mercedes will be very fast.”

Perhaps significantly, Mercedes team chief Ross Brawn offered timely backing for Hamilton whose McLaren contract expires at the end of the year and who could be offered a seat at Mercedes if seven-time champion Michael Schumacher decides to hang up his helmet for good.

The team boss, who guided Button to the 2009 world championship when both men were at Brawn, said: “On his own admission Lewis didn’t have the best year last year but I think he’s intelligent enough to realise that didn’t work out and to work to improve his own performance. He still has huge speed and huge talent. It will be fascinating to see how he does this year. I think he’ll do a great job.”

Button, winner in Australia for Brawn in 2009 and for McLaren in 2010, believes his team are in better shape coming into this season than into recent campaigns when their cars were initially relatively uncompetitive.

The 32-year-old said: “The last couple of years have been a little bit tricky for us over the winter but this winter ­everything seems to have gone to plan. It’s difficult to know where we stand, as everyone has said but I’m happy with what we’ve done.”

Fernando Alonso is not so optimistic and is bracing himself for the worst following a wretched pre-season with Ferrari. The team’s technical director Pat Fry has already admitted the Spaniard and No2 driver Felipe Massa will struggle to finish in the top three in Australia.

It is a frustrating scenario for Alonso given that the Ferrari was also off the pace last season with the double world champion not getting on the podium until the fourth race of 2011.

He said: “We need to keep working and developing the car because it’s not finished yet. Our progress with the car is quite innovative in some areas. There has been quite a big change compared with past Ferraris.

“But in my case six days of testing is not enough to change the car from black to white. We need more time to maximise our potential.”

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