Hamilton holds slight edge
2008-07-17 19:06
Hockenheim, Germany - Lewis Hamilton holds a slight edge going into this weekend's German Grand Prix, which sets off what is likely to be a dramatic second half to the Formula One season since only two points separate the four drivers at the top the overall standings.
Hamilton, coming off a 68-second victory at Silverstone for his third win of the season, is tied with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen with 48 points, though the McLaren driver leads on a tiebreaker. BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica trails the leaders with 46 points.
Hamilton goes into the 31st running of the German GP at the Hockenheim circuit as a rookie since he has never raced the 4.574km track in a Formula One car.
The 23-year-old Briton has already buried the memories of that last victory in front of his home crowd - the most dominant F1 win in 13 years.
"Pressure always exists because you need to win consistently," Hamilton said. "It helps that our car just feels so awesome at the moment."
Teams are well-prepared for the challenges of 67 laps around this circuit after testing last week. Raikkonen is holding out for high temperatures in hopes of avoiding another unpredictable race, as has been seen recently. The weather outlook includes the chance of rain.
"Our car goes really well at high temperatures and also the tire-wear is not too high. So I really hope it will be hot," said Raikkonen, the defending world champion, who has finished on the podium only once in his last four races.
With every point counting, the slightest of errors will prove costly down the stretch.
"I've always said that the championship will be very uncertain. I had the possibility to win the last three races, but for one reason or the other things didn't go the right way: but that's racing and I'm sure I'll win again soon," said the 28-year-old Finn, who has two victories this season.
Though McLaren and Ferrari remain the favourites in Germany, BMW Sauber remains close in the hunt for a drivers' and constructors' title.
- AP