2008 F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says McLaren are prepared to "take the fight to the cars at the front" in Turkey and also dismissed suggestions that he is too demanding on his tyres.The McLarens driver second-place finish in Spain when he suffered a wheel rim failure and resulting puncture. His ability to look after his tyres was also questioned in Australia when his team forced him to make a second unprepared pit stop as they felt his tyres were "graining". The Brit, though, insists he doesn't have a problem with his rubbers as the M4-25 looks well after its tyres.
"People have asked me whether tyre wears might be a problem this year, particularly with the higher fuel-loads, but I think our car works well in high-speed corners, and has typically been good at looking after its tyres during the race, so I don't foresee there being any particular problems," Lewis told. "I've had some good races in Turkey, but I've never won the race, so it would be fantastic to open my 2010 account with a victory there."
Lewis heads into this weekend's race in Turkey 19 points at the back Red Bull duo of Webber and Vettel in the Drivers' Championship.
"I'm looking forward to Turkey," he added. "I think we came away from Monaco with a reputable result, but the MP4-25 wasn't mostly well suited to a tight and bumpy track like that. At a place like Istanbul Park, our car will be back in its parts. It loves smooth, fast circuits, where the aero can really work over the car through the long, fast corners. It should feel fantastic to drive.
"So, looking at the characteristics of the track, it's a place where we should be able to pick up from where we left off in Spain. We're not under any illusions, but we think we'll be able to get another decent result and we're hopeful of taking the fight to the cars at the front."
