‘Problem is with me, not with the team’

Mercedes driver Hamilton admits he needs to get his act together.

LONDON: Lewis Hamilton is calm about what could happen to Mercedes if they are hauled before a Formula One tribunal to explain their secret tyre test, but he is worried about his own form.

“I’m not concerned about it, that’s for the team to worry about,” said the 2008 world champion of his team’s apparent breaking of a ban on in-season testing by putting in 1,000 km with Pirelli in Spain.

“I just have to focus on myself and try and get my act together.”

Hamilton started on the front row and finished fourth behind team mate Nico Rosberg who won from pole. It was the second race in a row the Briton had started in second place and failed to make the podium.

Hamilton apologised to the team for the loss of what might have been a one-two finish and vowed to work harder.

“I don’t put it down to bad luck. I just wasn’t good enough over the weekend. The whole weekend has been a missed opportunity,” he said.

“I’ve got lots to sort out on my side of the garage, and within myself, and I’ll take time to do that. I’m not quick enough, not on it enough, so I need to get on it.”

Hamilton said the problem was less to do with the engineers and more for him to deal with.

“It’s just a general feeling with me. It’s difficult to really explain it. I’ve just not been on it all weekend.

“It’s not through not being focused, it’s not through not being centred. It’s just feeling comfortable in the car. At McLaren I had 100% confidence in the car ... particularly on this track where you need 100% confidence in the car beneath you. It’s just that I’ve been struggling with getting that confidence.”

Suspension failure caused Massa’s Monaco crash

Suspension failure caused Felipe Massa’s Monaco Grand Prix crash at the weekend, Ferrari confirmed yesterday.

The Brazilian’s race crash looked like a carbon copy of the one he had in final practice which he said was caused by the front wheels locking after he braked and hit a bump on the pit straight before the Sainte Devote corner.

However the Italian team said Sunday’s was different.

“The findings validated the first impressions of the engineers, confirming that the accident was caused by an element of the front left suspension breaking,” they said on their website.

Massa’s car first hit the metal guardrail and was then pitched nose first into the energy-absorbing barriers. The driver was put into a neck brace on the spot and taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2013.