Lewis Hamilton believes that the pace of the Red Bull team is now under threat and that soon McLaren will be the team to beat.
Hamilton, world champion in 2008, took the lead of the drivers’ championship on Sunday after leading team-mate Jenson Button to a second successive McLaren one-two at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old Englishman admitted that Red Bull duo of Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber, who had claimed all seven pole positions before Canada, are still the drivers to beat, but that Red Bull won’t hold a pace advantage much longer.
“We are doing everything we can to close gap to them,” said Hamilton. “On other circuits where downforce is a bit higher they may be a bit ahead still, but I have no doubts we will close the gap. Clearly on race weekends we are doing a better job, hopefully we can continue with that.”
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso came closest to spoiling the McLaren party but had to settle for third place after being held up by slower drivers. Alonso followed Hamilton into the pits on lap seven, but the Ferrari driver had the quicker stop and almost collided with his former team-mate as they exited.
“I think I came in quite a bit ahead of him, but clearly did not have the best pitstop,” Hamilton said. —AFP