Hamilton rules today, and disappointed with Heikki .

great drives from hamilton wonder how where he throw 6seconds to each lap...

to bad Heikki cant make it 1-2
try to get Heidfield nx season.

Monday, 07 July 2008

How confident were you ahead of the start of the race?

”I've got to admit, I was nervous! In front of my home crowd, I didn't want to mess this up for everyone. Even on my lap-to-grid, the track felt greasy and slippery in places and the car was starting to aquaplane. But at times like that, you've got to relax and once the race started I was quickly into a rhythm and everything seemed to come to me. I know you can never start feeling too confident because it can affect your concentration but I think I found the perfect balance out on the track on Sunday.”



Were there some big celebrations back at the team’s brand centre in the paddock afterwards?

”We got a bit of a party vibe going on there after the race! When I finished with the TV crews I walked back into the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Brand Centre and just found it packed with partners, team members and members of my family. Everybody started cheering and I felt a bit overwhelmed. My physio was so happy he took over the music system and put some tunes on to turn the place into a club! Notorious B.I.G, Ini Kamoze, Kanye West, party hip hop basically - a real mixture of old and new stuff - and that got everybody going! Everybody started dancing and I could finally start to relax with my family. You need a bit of time on your own after a performance like that just to get yourself back on the ground but it was great to have my family, friends and colleagues all joining in the celebration.”



I believe the entire team got together afterwards to do a team photo as well?

”Monza 2007 was our last team photo when Fernando and I finished one-two. Although this wasn’t a one-two it was very much another special result for the team after a couple of difficult races so it was a good sign of solidarity for everybody. The team has been working so hard recently and this result was as much for them as it was for me.”



Silverstone had organised a Grand Prix party for the fans after the race and you made an appearance on the stage?

”It was crazy! I got a shuttle from the paddock, and before I could even get in it I was mobbed by fans. I always try and sign as many autographs and pose for as many pictures as I can - because I never like to leave people disappointed but sometimes it is just impossible, I’m sorry. I know you can always do more, but I really hope people understand that I give as much as I can to the fans and couldn't do what I do without their support. Once we got to the venue, I bumped into Sir Jackie Stewart and Jenson Button and then went on stage with my brother Nic. That was the biggest roar I've ever heard - it left me speechless for a while. That sort of thing just gives me such a buzz and makes days like this feel even more valuable and worthwhile. It was an awesome feeling to see the sea of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Rocket Red caps and flags being waved and to hear their cheering and chanting.”



How important is the support of your family and in particular your relationship with your younger brother Nic?

”I was in my room preparing for the start and Nic came in to see me. I told him I was worrying about the race and whether I would be able to get through it without making a mistake. He told me not to worry; he told me I was a great wet-weather driver and reminded me of a Cadet kart race I did years ago where I lapped every single one of the karts twice! That made me feel a whole load better and gave me some much needed additional self confidence to go out there and drive as strongly as I did.”



Your drive has been hailed as one of the all-time wet-weather greats - how does that make you feel?

”It's awesome, but I also feel humbled, to be honest. To be included up there with greats such as Stewart and Senna – not that I would claim that myself of course - is one of the reasons why I've pushed so hard throughout my motorsport career. But it hasn't really sunk in yet: sometimes you need a night and a day before you really start to feel the impact of all you've achieved. And you can't really rate one drive against others; people told me it reminded them of Ayrton at Donington in 1993 but I couldn't really say – what an unbelievable comparison though. All I know is that, like Ayrton, I've worked hard my entire racing career to be the best and a result like Sunday's is the reason for all of that.”



What's next for Lewis Hamilton?

”Nothing ever slows down in my life! There's no time to reflect on Silverstone just yet as I'm flying to Germany on Monday and will be in the car testing at Hockenheim on Tuesday and Wednesday. Maybe there will be a bit of time to relax later in the summer and take a holiday - but not yet...”

hamilton really had a steady drive, good job there ...

After Silverstone, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team begins preparations for its second ‘home’ race; next week’s German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

Another historic event, the German Grand Prix has previously been held on four circuits – two iterations of the Nurburgring. (22 races for the Nordschleife, one for the new circuit, in 1985), Hockenheim (30 races) and a singular event, in 1959, at Berlin’s Avus circuit. This year will mark the 55th running of the German Grand Prix.

While the Hockenheim circuit was not introduced onto the Formula One calendar until 1970, it first existed in recognisable form way back in 1938 and gained its familiar concrete stadium section in 1966. It existed largely unchanged until 2002, when it was dramatically shortened from its mighty 6.8km incarnation to 4.6km by Formula One architect Hermann Tilke.

McLaren has won six times, including a victory for McLaren-Mercedes with Mika Hakkinen in 1998. As a manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz first triumphed in Germany back in 1954, when Juan Manuel Fangio won at the old Nurburgring in a W196.

Since last year, organisers elected to alternate the German round of the world championship between the Nurburgring (organised by ADAC in odd-numbered years) and Hockenheim (organised by AvD in even-numbered years). Due to a disagreement over naming rights, this is the first German Grand Prix to take place since 2006; last year’s Nurburgring race was called the European Grand Prix.


Lewis Hamilton - Does your win at Silverstone take some of the pressure off your shoulders?
“Pressure always exists because you need to win consistently. In Formula One, you’re only as good as your last race and Silverstone already felt like an old memory by the time I was testing at Hockenheim on Tuesday. Generally, however, a race win briefly takes the load off everyone’s shoulders because it allows you to push forward without looking back at the problems you may have faced in the previous race. But you can never get complacent and we’ll be pushing hard again in Germany next week.”

This is your first time at Hockenheim in a Formula One car, what are your initial impressions?
“I was at Hockenheim in 2005 when I won a Formula 3 EuroSeries race and in 2006 with GP2 when I finished second and third. It’s actually quite a straightforward circuit to get into, and it helps that our car just feels so awesome at the moment. There’s a bit of everything around here and it’s quite fun to throw the car into some of the high-speed corners, like Turn One and Turn 12 – the high-speed right-hander into the stadium section.”

You are going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Farnborough Air Show ahead of the Santander German Grand Prix – how do events like these affect your preparations?
“I’m going to Goodwood on Sunday – it’s an event I love because, unlike a Grand Prix, it lets you get closer to the fans, and I always get a real boost from their enthusiasm and positivity. It’s also a place where you can meet other racing drivers in a really relaxed atmosphere – that’s not something you experience during a race weekend either. On the Monday I’m going to Farnborough, which should also be pretty cool. But I’m still doing less than I was before Silverstone and I’ll have several days to relax before Hockenheim.”

Will there be any special promotion activities with Mercedes-Benz for the fans?
“It will be great to be at Hockenheim where I will compete in my first German Grand Prix. I’m looking forward to the support of the Germans and especially the Mercedes fans. I know that many of them will be on the Mercedes grandstand from where they have a great view and there will also be a fantastic entertainment programme behind the grandstand. I will be on stage during the weekend and answer questions about my practice and qualifying. It is always nice to get close to the fans as it gives me additional motivation.”

Heikki Kovalainen - At the start of the season, you talked about needing time to settle in – after your impressive qualifying performance at Silverstone, do you now feel more at ease with the car and team than before?
“In some ways, yes. For sure, in the dry at Silverstone I couldn’t believe how good the car felt and just how much I could keep pushing it. It felt better than ever. But the race showed I can still do more to improve – both in terms of my driving style and the way the team works with me. I know I have the speed, I just need to work harder to apply it across the whole race weekend.”

Does the track suit the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes technical package?
“Our car’s real strengths are in high-speed corners and under braking. Hockenheim is more of a technical, medium-speed circuit so I wouldn’t expect us to have any particular advantage – but the car does feel very good here. It has a similar downforce level to Magny-Cours, where we weren’t really able to show our true potential, so it will be interesting to see where we sit in comparison to our rivals.”

The team tried a new dorsal fin engine cover during the test – did it make a difference?
“The new top body engine cover has been designed to improve aero performance, particularly through high-speed corners – and we feel it had an advantage during the Hockenheim test. But it’s still too early to say; maybe Hockenheim is not the best place to try this new wing and we need to see if it is affected by crosswinds – it was quite windy at the Hockenheim test, but we didn’t seem to be too affected by the wind. It’s definitely encouraging for the future.”

McLaren test anvil wings :

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68982

many has been switch to this aerodynamic lately

A pole every three races for Lewis Hamilton
McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday's German Grand Prix, the team's second consecutive home Grand Prix, from pole position after Silverstone two weeks ago.

It is also the team’s second pole position in a row and the fourth this year. In the closing seconds of the final session, Hamilton set a time of 1:15.666s and claimed his ninth pole position in his 27th F1 start.

It is the 58th for the McLaren Mercedes partnership and McLaren’s 137th. Silverstone pole-sitter Heikki Kovalainen qualified third fastest with a 1:16.143s and will start from the second row, right behind his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton
"What a lap! My first run during Q3 wasn’t bad, but my final lap was very smooth and I expected to set an even better time. The wind made today's conditions quite tricky and sometimes it was difficult to stay on the racing line, particularly in the stadium section – where the wind seemed to change a couple of times. The team did a really good job to adjust to these conditions and to prepare the car perfectly. We’ve been fast and consistent all weekend, we have good pace, and I’m confident for tomorrow."

Heikki Kovalainen
"In the final session my car felt the best it has all weekend. But on my first run I lost the rear-end entering the stadium section and ran wide. And on my final run I did a little bit of rally-crossing at the last corner. Taking that into account, it was a good lap.
"

Ron Dennis
"Today we saw another excellent team performance by all at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Clearly, we're delighted for Lewis, who drove a great lap to take pole position in what I'm sure most people will agree was a gripping end to today's qualifying session. But we're equally pleased with Heikki, who recovered very impressively after his 'off' earlier in the session. He pushed hard, kept his head and carved a fast but disciplined lap that placed him third on tomorrow's grid. As regards tomorrow, we believe we have a competitive strategy and are therefore looking forward to putting in a strong performance in what is the second successive home Grand Prix for our team."

Norbert Haug
"That was a thrilling qualifying and Lewis made things clear at the last possible moment. A great lap which led him to the best position to start our second home Grand Prix after Silverstone. Heikki was on pole a fortnight ago, now it’s Lewis's turn. With Heikki in third place on the clean side of the track, we are in a good position for tomorrow’s race – but we certainly are not underestimating our competitors."

Mclaren mistakes almost cost Hamilton victory today, Im really shock see Hamilton come back after 2nd pit stops.

Superb Hamilton.