Lewis Hamilton insists his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button leads the driver's standings because he has made life easier for himself. However, the 25 year-old is confident that the tables will soon turn and says he is proud of the way he has stayed in touch with his team-mate despite various qualifying setbacks and team errors.
Button led home a McLaren one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, making what turned out to be an inspired decision not to pit early when others, including Hamilton, switched their dry tyres for intermediates.
Related ArticlesJenson Button heads McLaren one-two in ChinaHamilton admits rift with fatherVettel takes pole in ShanghaiSchumacher disappointed with qualifyingSport on televisionPatience will be key for Jenson Button in pursuit of world championship dreamIt was the second time in a month, following the Australian Grand Prix three weeks ago, that Button, 30, had stolen a march on his younger compatriot.
Nevertheless, Hamilton, 25, feels he has raced superbly in the four races so far this year – making 32 overtaking manoeuvres, 12 of them in China alone, to Button's seven – and has only been let down by his qualifying pace and team mistakes.
"I feel I have had great races but Jenson has taken the right decisions and taken the easier route," Hamilton said. "I have had the harder route and got good results but hopefully soon I will take the easier route and it will be a lot easier."
Of course, Hamilton was not suggesting that his McLaren team-mate has had it easy – clearly if it was so straightforward everyone would have made the same race-winning tyre calls – merely that he has not yet enjoyed the rub of the green.
Nevertheless, he finds himself just 11 points behind Button going into the European season and says everything between them is going swimmingly.
"The good thing with me and Jenson is that we clearly want to beat each other but Jenson is very smart and does not have that too aggressive flair in him and neither have I," Hamilton said.
"I'm not surprised he has settled so quickly. There was a lot of stuff about him joining my team and I would be favoured ... the team just embrace the drivers, they want us both to win.
"They did absolutely everything to get him up to speed and feel comfortable. They did the same for me in 2007.
"I am really happy for him. He did a better job and I am sure that when the tables turn, as they will, it will the same for me."
Neither Hamilton nor Button is being beset by the travel problems afflicting the 1,000-plus members of the F1 travelling circus in Shanghai.
As desperate mechanics, chefs, engineers and journalists tried to plot a route home on Monday after travel plans were compromised by the Icelandic dust clouds, Hamilton jetted to South Africa for a sponsorship trip accompanied by his mother, with whom he is then going on safari, while Button flew to Thailand for a holiday with his girlfriend.
"It's the best time of my life, so far. You can write that as big as you want," said Button, who paid tribute to his team-mate.
"I think we're both dong a fantastic job. It's good to have a team-mate who's so competitive. The guy will never give up. He's like a pitbull."
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