Lewis: I'm a winner

Lewis: Still on top of drivers championship

Despite the 25 second penalty losing him last week’s Belgium Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton still feels like a winner.

With the McClaren team still appealing against the decision, Hamilton isn’t letting it get to him, and his looking forward to Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.

‘I feel like I’ve come here off a win at the last race,’ he declared. ‘I felt really satisfied with the job that I did.

‘“I hope the ruling won’t affect the outcome of the championship — I plan to make sure it has no effect on it. I’m going to make sure that I just continue to attack. If anything, we can use this as our fuel to keep pushing. I feel great.’

As for the incident itself, Hamilton still feels he did no wrong.

‘If you don’t have the balls to brake late, that’s your problem.

‘In those situations, it’s the driver who can feel the grip more — and put the car more on the edge — that gets past. I’m great in those conditions.’

However, while there’s a distinct irony in Hamilton being punished for overtaking when the sport’s bosses are trying to encourage more excitement, the FIA is trying to make it avoid allegations of Ferrari-favouring conspiracies.

The Telegraph quotes one of the Belgium Gran Prix stewards to quite amusing effect.

‘There was no conspiracy against anybody, McLaren included,’ explained steward Surinder Thatthi. ’We acted within the FIA rules.

‘Hamilton took a shortcut while off the track. We had the choice of meting out a time penalty or putting him back 10 grid places at the next grand prix and we opted for the former. I know I’m very unpopular in the United Kingdom now, but I was doing my job.’

Even though, of course, his job could have involved issuing a 10 grid place punishment. Hmm…

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