Hamilton vows to ‘kick’ McLaren back onto pace

Lewis Hamilton thinks he can whip McLaren into shape

(GMM) Lewis Hamilton has vowed to contribute to McLaren's off-track efforts ahead of the final seven races of 2010.

The team's factory is currently closed for a mandatory two-week shutdown, so the Briton headed from a difficult race in Hungary for a holiday.

But when Woking's doors re-open, Hamilton vowed to "be on the tail of all the team, all the engineers, making sure they don't miss anything" ahead of Spa-Francorchamps late this month.

"If we were not going on holiday I would love to go straight to the factory," he said.

"I'm not an engineer but I would drag the chief designer down to the wind tunnel, question him many times and try to understand it because that is what I do.

"Things I have suggested in the past have worked. I don't think I am going to come up with the idea this time, but the more you ask, the easier you get to the solution," added Hamilton.

The 25-year-old lost his championship lead with a gearbox failure at the Hungaroring, but the MP4-25 was off the pace all weekend.

In-season testing is banned, but Hamilton says there are other ways he can influence McLaren's push to improve.

"I feel it's just as much my job to kick them as it is for them to kick me," he said.