Hamilton vows to regain cool for title zenith
The British championship leader is now just two points ahead of his McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso, and he appeared to shows signs of struggling to cope with the pressure after the pair diced for track position at Spa-Francorchamps two weeks ago.
Hamilton, who has also struggled to match Alonso's pace at recent races, lashed out at the Spaniard's driving tactics immediately following the Belgian grand prix, and then clarified his comments.
"I have been immensely impressed with Lewis," observed Renault's Pat Symonds, who worked with Alonso at the French team between 2002 and last year, "but we may have seen a little chink in his armor after Spa.
"As for Fernando, we know how strong he is psychologically. I am looking forward to seeing how their battle unfolds over the final races," he added.
Ahead of the Asian double header that begins in Japan this weekend, Hamilton suggests that he has taken stock after the end of the European season.
"It's important to stay relaxed and calm and to remember it is my first year in formula one," the rookie said this week, "and I'm still 22."