F1 News - Lewis Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and answers his own fears as well as those of his critics
Last updated 11/14/2011 12:55:34 PM
F1 News - Lewis Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
There are many F1 drivers who would happily change places with Britain's Lewis Hamilton after watching him coast serenely to his third Grand Prix victory of the year.
His unhindered progress on the desert course of Abu Dhabi was never in doubt once the already crowned World Champion Sebastian Vettel crashed out on the first bend with a puncture.
But Hamilton has had an unhappy year, splitting with his father, his guiding light, ending his relationship with his long term girlfriend and seemingly more concerned with his personal feud with Felipe Massa than closing the gap on Red Bull as well as the deaths of two close friends.
On Sunday it was as though none of this had happened, just a bad dream now consigned to the past.
This year's world title may have slipped away but both he and his team mate Jensen Button displayed in their McLaren's that Vettel and the flying Mark Webber will be facing a much stiffer task in 2012.
It should have been a McLaren one, two as Button battled with mechanical problems throughout the race and his position on the podium ahead of Webber and Massa spoke volumes about the driver and the car.
Lewis Hamilton said afterwards that he was proud to answer doubts about his recent performances with his strong victory as he drew a line under those series of on-track and personal problems.
"With the pressure I've been under and the doubt that has surrounded me, I feel massively proud," said Hamilton.
"I definitely think this weekend I've been clearer in my mind and had less weighing on me."
He admitted: "I've had less focus on thoughts, issues and whatever problems that I've got," said Hamilton, who notched up his 17th career win.
"I was just able to drive clearly. In the last race I had that mistake [a clash with Massa] when I was not thinking straight.
"This weekend I was able to think straight and I don't know if that's because I had some great support here but I've had a positive feeling all weekend and I feel very fortunate.
"When I was doing the lap on my way in, I was thinking that this was definitely one of my best races.
"It's very rare for me to get the opportunity to maintain the gap and control the pace but today I had the pace and I was able to put in the laps whenever Fernando went quicker.
"When he closed the gap I was able to keep it the same or pull a little bit more out.
"In terms of my own performance, I don't feel like I made a single mistake in the race. To hold off one of the best drivers in the world is very tough to do.
"I'm really, really very happy to be back up here."
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh described the win as "important" for Hamilton and added that he now expects him to go to the next level.
"There was a lot of pressure but he drove brilliantly," said Whitmarsh. "It was the Lewis we know and love and he really enjoyed it.
"He has been strong all weekend, he came here in a good frame of mind and focused. It didn't quite work out in qualifying, as we thought we should be on pole, but the win was great for the team."