Mansell: Hamilton is “close to perfection”
For Nigel Mansell, the start of Lewis Hamilton's season is reaching new heights, and the former world champion believes that his confidence is the foundation of his success.
In second place in the drivers’ championship, but the winner of three out of four races this season, Lewis Hamilton has greatly impressed observers at the start of this season. Nigel Mansell, the 1992 World Champion driving the Williams-Renault FW14B, believes that the start of the season for the Mercedes driver is nearly perfect.
« No driver has ever won a world title in a bad team, but what you can do is demonstrate how brilliantly you can win. Lewis did that this season, » he states for the BBC.
« He was close to perfection, just brilliant. He had the opportunity to express himself. When you secure a few more victories, you become more confident and that gives you an extra half-second in your pocket. There’s nothing better than knowing you have a good car: it’s the most wonderful feeling. »
After his victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton joined Jim Clark and Niki Lauda in the ranks of drivers with 25 career wins. He also closed in on his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who is currently leading the overall standings with 79 points compared to 75 for driver No. 44. Another victory for the Briton would allow him to take the lead in the championship.
For Nigel Mansell, Hamilton and Rosberg will definitely compete for the title: They are in the top class of the field in 2014. I don’t see them losing the advantage. They won’t be unbeatable throughout the year, but I think it will be very hard to close the gap due to the superiority of their engine’s performance. The “lion” concludes: Lewis and Nico are going to have a fantastic season.
Hamilton wants to continue this momentum
For the British driver, the next Grand Prix in Spain will be an opportunity to confirm his good form and that of his car: « After three great weekends in Malaysia, Bahrain, and China, I am obviously eager to head to the next one and continue this positive momentum, » he explains, as reported by the site TheF1Times.
Just as he never achieved three consecutive wins before Shanghai, Hamilton has never won the Catalan leg of the championship, which could take him to four victories in a row: « I have never won in Barcelona, but I am in a good position currently and I hope this will be the year, even though there is no doubt about the fans’ favorite! The circuit is fantastic, our car has worked well so far and I’m really looking forward to it. »
