BUDAPEST: Lewis Hamilton has got himself into the groove for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix by cutting tracks in a Los Angeles recording studio.
The Mercedes driver, subdued and preoccupied at the last race in Germany after his break-up with American singer Nicole Scherzinger, appeared more at ease at the Hungaroring yesterday and was ready to dispel some rumours.
“I haven’t been writing love songs, as some people have been suggesting, to win anyone back,” he told reporters when the conversation turned towards his recent musical activities.
“It is just something I really enjoy doing and something that I am actually really, really good at,” he said. “There are loads of great studios in LA but that is the best one I have been to. The sound is incredible. It’s good fun.”
The world may never hear the results but the day job is what really matters and Hamilton arrived in Budapest ready for action.
The 2008 world champion has won three times at the circuit outside the capital - with only the now-retired Michael Schumacher boasting a better record there - and arrives chasing a third successive pole position.
New tyres introduced by Pirelli may make the task more difficult, with the Mercedes suffering heavy rear degradation in hot conditions, but Hamilton made clear he was in the right frame of mind.
“The break was too long. I just really missed being in the car. Particularly this week I have been really excited about getting back in the car,” he said.
“I had time to really think about how well the season has gone for me. Everyone was talking me down at the beginning of the year. So many things said about whether it was right or wrong decisions, whether it was a silly mistake.
“But the team and I have constantly proved everyone wrong, race by race. We are second in the constructors’ championship which is a massive boost.”
Hamilton’s team-mate Nico Rosberg has won twice so far this season while Hamilton has yet to stand on the top step of the podium since his move from McLaren at the end of last year.
He has, however, had three third places and is fourth in the championship, 58 points behind Red Bull’s overall leader Sebastian Vettel after nine of 19 races.
Raikkonen’s salary not a factor for Red Bull camp
BUDAPEST: Kimi Raikkonen’s considerable wages will not be a factor in Red Bull’s decision on who partners Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel next season, team principal Christian Horner said yesterday.
“Of course, finances are always a factor but...the difference between first and second or second and third and fourth is a significant amount in the constructors’ world championship,” he told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“So the financial element of it, if you don’t make the right decision, is going to impact you anyway if you are not scoring constructors’ points. So that isn’t really an element in our decision making.”
Horner said at the Hungarian Grand Prix that a decision on who would replace the departing Mark Webber was likely to be made after the August break with the choice between Lotus driver Raikkonen and Toro Rosso’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo.
“There’s been some interesting applicants over the last few weeks but fundamentally we’re still looking at the same drivers,” he said. Raikkonen, the 2007 champion, is one of the highest paid drivers in the paddock while Ricciardo - who flew to Budapest on a budget airline - is a product of the Red Bull young driver programme and made his F1 race debut only in 2011. AGENCIES
