Thursday, 15 September 2011
Some people thought Michael Schumacher’s defence of his position was a little, er, robust. Looking back on it, how do you view it?
“I just see it as racing. I fight the fight, get past and move on – literally. I like to race hard, but I also think I race fair.
“It was frustrating to spend so many laps stuck behind Michael, but I made a mistake at the restart, when I was too busy watching my mirrors to see the guys ahead move off. I put my hand up to that, and I paid the price for it. Still, it was very satisfying to get past Michael and get on with my race.
“I was generally happy with how things panned out. If we’d have had a stronger start, I think things could’ve been a bit different at the front, but you get what you’re given, and I still think I got everything I could out of the car on Sunday, which leaves me feeling satisfied.”
How effective were the two DRS zones at Monza last weekend?
“They definitely made a difference. Both Jenson and I were able to pass Michael at the end of the first DRS zone, and I think they made the racing closer, because you always knew that, at the very least, you’d be able to maintain the gap around the lap.
“It still made passing difficult – the DRS zones definitely weren’t an open door for passing – but I think that’s how it really should be. If you make it too easy then it devalues the value of the pass. That might have made it difficult for me on Sunday, but I still prefer a fair fight, and getting past people during the race was the result of solid driving rather than just being able to flick a switch and overtake using DRS. I definitely like the idea of two different zones, too.”
You and Jenson both drove hard, qualified strongly, finished in the top four and set the two fastest race laps, yet the win remained elusive. Just how difficult is it to win in Formula 1 these days?
“It’s very hard to beat Red Bull and Seb when they aren’t making any errors. They are absolutely on top of their game right now, which is good for them, but it’s frustrating for the other teams and drivers, but it’s up to us to close the gap and make it more exciting for the fans.
“But make no mistake, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are doing a fantastic job: we’re leading the charge, we’re consistently splitting the Red Bulls in qualifying and the race, and we’re bringing home plenty of points.
“We have the equipment to get the job done, too – we just need to keep the momentum going across the whole weekend and hopefully pressure Red Bull into a mistake or two along the way. We’ll be back on the top step of the podium soon enough, rest assured.”
Credit: Lewis Hamilton (www.lewishamilton.com)
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