Lewis: My sole focus is to win the Title

Tuesday 26th August 2008

"I'm no No 2, whoever you put me next to - even Michael Schumacher." This is the view of Lewis Hamilton after his meteoric rise in Formula One.

The Brit believes he proved last year during his battle with Fernando Alonso that he deserves the No 1 status. Alonso left McLaren just one year into his contract, claiming he was playing second fiddle to Hamilton.

Hamilton insists he has nothing left to prove after seeing off the challenge of Alonso during his rookie season.

"Last year I meant business - I was there to tell the world I wasn't half a second slower than Fernando Alonso, as some people predicted," he is quoted in The Times.

"I was thinking, 'Hang on, I'm no No 2, whoever you put me next to - even Michael Schumacher.' I was there to prove how good I was, which I did, but this year I want to top that. My sole focus is to win the World Championship."

The World Championship leader says his performance during the European Grand Prix proves that he has more relaxed now.

"I don't know if you can see, but I feel a lot stronger than I was this time last year. I think it is just maturity, knowing what you need," he said.

"Last year I would have been at this race [in Valencia] and I would have just driven my heart out not really knowing, not really thinking exactly why. I just wanted to win and was not thinking how the points were going to work.

"During the race on Sunday, I could see Felipe was pulling away. I was pushing my a*** off, but I also thought to myself, 'He is pulling away even though I am driving my a*** off.'"

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