Lewis Hamilton: I Won't Make the Same Mistakes as Last Year

With all the pressure of a championship title riding on his shoulders, Lewis Hamilton could be forgiven for getting doubts about his chances this week and worrying whether we will see a repeat of last year's horror.  However, the 23-year old has promised these worries are not haunting him and he is ready to fight for the title.

Last year saw Hamilton squander his seven point lead going into the final race when his gearbox failed following his "off-road" experience.

Throughout the season, F1 fans have seen how good Lewis Hamilton can be behind a wheel, but when he does make a mistake, as he did in Fuji, these can prove to be very costly.

This week, Lewis Hamilton spoke to British newspaper, The Gaurdian, and said, "I remember last year, going into the final race, I was really on the back foot.  So much pressure was on me.

"I felt the whole country, the whole world... I just felt this huge weight on my shoulders.  I went in and I made several mistakes, and we dropped back.  This year, because I've experienced it, I'm much better prepared."

The McLaren driver continued on to say, "What I learnt last season has really added to this season.  All the problems I had last year, and all the good experiences too. This year, after times like Canada, I think I've learnt to take my time, not rush into things, not take too many risks, just do what is needed —giving 100% and not 110%."

Hamilton will be using a race-worn engine as he heads to Interlagos, whereas Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen will have fresh horses behind them.

In later months of this year's season, Hamilton's critics have questioned his driving ability and safety on the track, Lewis has said he doesn't dwell on his errors and added that he wouldn't change his approach to the last two seasons.

"You could spend your life looking back at things, thinking through what might have happened if you had taken a different decision, but I don't really understand the point in that," said Hamilton.  Why spend time looking back negatively when you could be living your life instead?"

"What has been is done."

"I know I will always do the best I can at any given moment."

Lewis Hamilton needs to be aiming for the front row of the grid, and can only hope that team-mate, Heikki Kovalainen, will be close behind.  I think any F1 fan would agree that a silver car between two red ones spells nothing but danger for the Brit.  Add to that mix the Renault of nemesis, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton could well find himself in deeper than he can swim.

Early weather reports suggest that the weekend will be a dry one, but at this stage anything is possible.  If the wet stuff does start to fall, we may see another McLaren weekend and ultimately, a Lewis Hamilton championship drive.