Lewis Hamilton is confident that he is in good shape to win the Malaysian GP after improving the balance of his MP4-27 during Friday's practice sessions.
Lewis smiling again after impressive Friday
Lewis Hamilton is confident that he is in good shape to win the Malaysian GP after improving the balance of his MP4-27 during Friday's practice sessions.
Responding in impressive fashion to the disappointment of finishing third in Australia, Hamilton set the pace in both of Friday's outings - leaving the McLaren driver in a positive frame of mind ahead of what is bound to be a challenging weekend at the demanding Sepang circuit.
"It's been a good day for me," Hamilton reported. "We've made a few changes to the balance of the car since the last race and I'm much happier.
"Around here, overtaking will be a little more possible than in Melbourne. Nevertheless, starting from the front will still be the best position for the race, and that's what I'll be going for tomorrow."
Yet, though Hamilton's pace was outstanding, it's widely thought that tyre conservation could be the critical factor in determining the identity of Sunday's race winner.
"Looking after your tyres is going to be a really tough call, trying to stop the sliding and driving with understeer if you can while keeping the lap times up," Hamilton added.
Last Sunday in Melbourne, Hamilton's team-mate Jenson Button appeared to nurse his tyres far more successfully than his compatriot, but even the 2009 World Champion acknowledges that managing degradation will be a tough challenge in the heat of Malaysia.
"It's tough on both tyres around here with the humidity and the heat," Button said. "Unless the circuit improves a great deal, there is going to be quite a few (pit) stops out there."
