Hamilton not fazed by Rosberg’s fast start
LEWIS HAMILTON insists he “couldn’t care less” that Nico Rosberg has stolen an early march in the battle for this season’s Formula One championship.
Rosberg extended his lead over Hamilton to 17 points by following up his triumph at the curtain-raiser in Melbourne with his second victory of the campaign in Bahrain on Sunday.
The German, winner of the last five grands prix – a streak which stretches back to last season – benefited from a poor start by Hamilton to claim the 16th victory of his career.
Hamilton sustained damage in a first-corner collision with Valtteri Bottas and fell back to seventh before nursing his Mercedes home in third.
The Briton, who last tasted victory at October’s United States Grand Prix, where he sealed his third world championship, said: “I couldn’t care less if he’s won the last five, it’s the last two [this sea- son’s wins] that matter. If you win consecutively in the season that’s something, but five over two seasons, for me that doesn’t psychologically mean anything.”
Referring to Muhammad Ali’s famous world heavyweight title fight against George Foreman in 197 4, Hamilton added: “You can’t win them all.
“Not that this is the same, but Muhammad Ali with that Rumble in the Jungle ... he got the dude to believe he was winning and he didn’t. So anything can happen. This is a psychological game.
“It is a battle. I guess with age and experience, I’m in the most solid place I’ve ever been psychologically. There’s very little if anything can penetrate that.”
Hamilton secured pole position with a record-breaking lap in Bahrain to start from the front for the second race in succession. But, as in Melbourne, a poor getaway from the world champion saw him slip back through the field.
“I feel really positive gener- ally, even though we have lost the first two races,” Hamilton, 31, added. “I’ve had two poles and we are going to get more. There’s no real flaws in our procedure and how we are working.”
Rosberg moved onto 16 career wins, equalling Sir Stirling Moss’s long-standing record as the driver who has won the most races without winning a title.
“I had an awesome start,” said Rosberg. “It felt like a rocket launch and that made the race.”