Hamilton glad to be back

Briton eases back into action in Portugal

Last updated: 21st January 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hamilton glad to be back

The new MP4-24

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Lewis Hamilton got behind the wheel of a McLaren for the first time since clinching his first world title and announced himself pleased with the new MP4-24 car.

The Briton clocked the third-fastest time in testing at Portimao and got 81 laps under his belt at the Portuguese circuit.

"It was good to be back working with the team - it felt like I'd hardly been away because it was easy to slip back into the routine," Hamilton told Autosport.

"It's amazing to think that, while I've been to Woking throughout the winter, I haven't properly driven a Formula One car since the Brazilian Grand Prix two months ago, but everything very quickly felt normal today.

"This first test was all about just getting used to the new car and the new regulations and about giving my feedback to the engineers; it wasn't about setting a fast time."

Times
01 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:27.987 128 laps
02 N. Rosberg Williams 1:29.580 31 laps
03 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:30.242 81 laps
04 T. Glock Toyota 1:30.878 63 laps
05 F. Alonso Renault 1:31.743 84 laps

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