Lewis Hamilton out to inflict pain on rivals in 2019 title race
Tuesday 26 February 2019 15:12, UK
Lewis Hamilton has revealed he wants to beat his Formula One title rivals at their best to ensure his victory is "painful" for them.
The five-time champion clinched his first two titles - in 2008 with McLaren and 2014 with current team Mercedes - at the final grands prix of the season, but his last three have come with at least two races to spare.
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel threatened to mount a title challenge last year but the four-time champion's performance levels dropped during the second half of the season, allowing Hamilton to ease to his fourth triumph in five seasons.
"Each year the goal is to get better and - looking at our competitors out there - the more competition, the better," Hamilton said when speaking at the launch of the new PETRONAS Syntium range at the PETRONAS Global Research & Technology Centre in Turin, Italy.
"You always want to be against the best while at your best because then when you beat them it is more painful for them and more enjoyable for you."
The first pre-season test was completed in Barcelona earlier this week, with the consensus Ferrari made the strongest start of the title hopefuls with just three weeks to go until the start of the season.
Hamilton needs just one more championship to move clear in second place on the all-time list behind seven-time winner Michael Schumacher, but the 34-year-old insists his approach will be the same as ever.
"I don't think it adds pressure, it doesn't really change anything to be honest," Hamilton added.
"Every year you reset, you re-evaluate and you set new goals. That is the same for all of us when you come to a new year, you set new heights and new targets.
"So it is pretty much the same as in recent years where we are out there to work cohesively and extract absolutely everything from ourselves as team and the car."
Lewis Hamilton was speaking to Sky Sports at the launch of the new PETRONAS Syntium range at the PETRONAS Global Research & Technology Centre in Turin, Italy.
