Formula One: Lewis Hamilton vows to refocus on racing

LEWIS Hamilton has vowed to “live and breathe Formula One” next year after claiming he has been the “biggest hazard” to his current woeful campaign.

The suggestion from Hamilton was that he has failed to give the sport the full attention it requires to be successful, and that perhaps outside influences have proven a distraction.

In light of his recent break-up with long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, which almost certainly accounted for his sour mood in the last race in Korea, it is likely Hamilton’s focus has switched to what is important to him if he is to ever win a second F1 title.

It was a typically forthright, self-assessing Hamilton who spoke in the wake of yesterday’s qualifying session for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old qualified second behind Sebastian Vettel, on pole for the 13th time this season, but will start fifth due to a three-place grid penalty imposed on Friday for a practice infringement.

That was his sixth penalty of a season he knows cannot be repeated, with far too many trips to see the stewards for the liking of the McLaren star.

“It’s not been the best of seasons for me, lots of ups and downs,” was Hamilton’s initial remark when asked to assess his campaign.

“With the car we would have hoped to have had more consistent pace.

“But the team has done a fantastic job to get us where we are, the second fastest team, able to split the Red Bulls, and no-one else has been able to do that.

“Martin [team principal Whitmarsh] has been very kind with his words when he says the team has under-performed.

“But I speak for myself [when I say] my driving, for me, has been the biggest hazard.

“I can improve, which is what I’m working towards for next year, and staying out of the stewards’ office is also a very big goal, top of my priorities for next year.”

Then came the claim from Hamilton he has not been fully focused this year, but he knows what he has to do for 2012.

“Life is like a puzzle, you just have to get things in place,” added Hamilton.

“Formula One is a massively competitive sport where you have to have clear thoughts, to live and breathe Formula One. There’s no room for anything else.”

For the race at the Buddh International Circuit, Hamilton has an all-Red Bull front row ahead of him, with Mark Webber elevated a place from third courtesy of the Briton’s penalty.

That has also assisted Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button who will start third and fourth in front of an expected 100,000 crowd.

Vettel’s pole means Red Bull have 16 for the season, a new record for a constructor, and which leaves him one shy of Nigel Mansell’s 1992 all-time mark.