Hamilton's title ambition

Hamilton: Momentum

I've got to take it race by race and just try to continue this. We know we have great performance with the car.

Quotes of the week

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Having taken the lead in the standings with his victory in Sunday's British GP, Lewis Hamilton is determined to hold on and win this year's world title.

The McLaren driver entered this year's Championship with three goals in mind: win in Monaco, win in Britain and win the world title. Now having achieved two of those he has set his sights on clinching number three.

After nine races the Brit is tied with Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen on 48 points in the Championship. Hamilton, however, takes the lead as even though all his results are the same as Massa's, he has one P10 finish to the Brazilian's DNF.

"It is straight back to work for me. I have a World Championship to win," the McLaren driver, who flew to Hockenheim on Monday to take part in a pre-Germany test, told The Sun.

Great momentum

"I've ticked off Monaco, I've ticked off winning the British Grand Prix. Now I've got to tick off winning the World Championship. Those were the targets for this season.

"Winning at Silverstone has given me a massive boost and great momentum. I'm in a good spot now but I have to keep on scoring points.

"I've got to take it race by race and just try to continue this. We know we have great performance with the car."

Hamilton also now knows that he's made of sterner stuff having faced a tough trail by media ever since his disasterous Canadian GP.

The 23-year-old, though, put the pressure of being in the media's spotlight as well as the fun and games that included dinner with Nelson Mandela behind him to focus all his attention on winning at Silverstone and in doing so silenced his critics.

"I know F1 looks all glitz and glamour but this sport is incredibly tough," he said.

Pedigree

"Silverstone was the biggest challenge of my life. It was a day to be fearless and I was. The race was hard-core and I'll never forget it.

"This showed I have the best concentration and I am the strongest. It is easy to get carried away with leading this life - meeting people like Nelson Mandela, which blew me away, then having to bring yourself back down to earth.

"But I have shown my pedigree. I have shown everyone I can keep my nerve. It's awesome but I also feel humbled.

"To be included up there with greats such as Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna, not that I would claim that myself, is one of the reasons I've pushed so hard throughout my motorsport career."