Hamilton - Title my sole focus

McLaren driver in optimistic mood

Last updated: 26th August 2008

Hamilton: maturing

I was thinking, 'Hang on, I'm no number two, whoever you put me next to - even Michael Schumacher'.

Lewis Hamilton
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Lewis Hamilton is confident he can cap his second season in Formula One with the world title.

The Brit believes he proved last year during his battle with Fernando Alonso that he deserves number one status.

Alonso left McLaren just one year into his contract, claiming he was playing second fiddle to Hamilton.

Hamilton insists he has nothing left to prove after seeing off the challenge of Alonso during his rookie season.

Business

"Last year I meant business - I was there to tell the world I wasn't half a second slower than Fernando Alonso, as some people predicted," he is quoted in The Times.

"I was thinking, 'Hang on, I'm no number two, whoever you put me next to - even Michael Schumacher.' I was there to prove how good I was, which I did, but this year I want to top that. My sole focus is to win the world championship."

Hamilton, the current championship leader, says his performance during the European Grand Prix proves that he has more relaxed now.

"I don't know if you can see, but I feel a lot stronger than I was this time last year. I think it is just maturity, knowing what you need," he added.

"Last year I would have been at this race [in Valencia] and I would have just driven my heart out not really knowing, not really thinking exactly why. I just wanted to win and was not thinking how the points were going to work."