Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes winning the constructors’ title is still the main aim
Team goals come above personal success, insists Briton
Friday 22 August 2014 07:44, UK
Lewis Hamilton says clinching the Constructors' Championship for Mercedes is still the main aim for both him and Nico Rosberg above their own personal duel.
The Silver Arrows team-mates are embroiled in a titanic battle at the head of the drivers’ standings and just 11 points separates them heading into Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Tensions between the pair flared in Hungary when Hamilton ignored a request from the team to let Rosberg past, leading to the German vowing to change his approach this weekend. However, the 2008 World Champion says the team is still the priority above any individual success.
"Ultimately our job is still the same – the team comes first," he told Sky Sports News HQ.
"That is in our job description, that the team comes first. But it is getting closer now to the point that the team will have the Constructors’ Championship, and we are then getting closer to the point where it will just be out of me and Nico.
"The great thing this year is that the team have allowed us to race all year long and I think even more so in the second part they will be even more open to us racing even closer."
Hamilton has previously been involved in multiple Drivers' Championship fights during his time with McLaren – including against then team-mate Fernando Alonso in 2007 – but he doesn't think it gives him an advantage over Rosberg.
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"I would like to say yes, but I don’t think so," he added. "People have asked if having that one experience of winning a championship helps – every year fighting for the championship, all those experiences helped, but it is still just as hard as ever before.
"I don't know what lies ahead of me, I don't know when problems will occur again, I don't know when I will make a mistake again, you don’t know when the weather is going to change, you don’t know what is going to happen.
"What I do know is I’m more motivated than ever, I'm close enough to be in with a shot of the championship, I have great support from my fans – they have been amazing this year and even more so this year through the difficult times. So I feel great coming into it and I just really hope I can keep it together and make my family and my friends proud."
