LEWIS HAMILTON HAS rejected McLaren team chief Martin Whitmarsh’s suggestion that he was having regrets and second thoughts about his decision to leave for Mercedes next season.
The 27-year-old Briton, who lines up this Sunday for his penultimate race with the team that has been his home since he was a 13-year-old karting star, said instead that he was very happy with his choice for the future.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s potentially-decisive United States Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “I’m sure everyone has emotions within the team, but I’m still here giving 100 percent to them for the last two races.
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“Of course it’s quite emotional for me but I’m very, very happy with my decision.”
Last week, Whitmarsh had told the official Formula 1 website that he hoped Hamilton would feel he had ‘made an awful mistake’.
He said: “He’s not going to say ‘hey, they offered me more money’. He’s also not going to say that he’s made an awful mistake.
“I hope he thinks today that he’s made an awful mistake and I hope he thinks that next year. He’s made that decision and he has to live with that decision.”
Hamilton said: “I was a little bit surprised to hear that because it’s definitely not the case… But I’ve got a great team and I’ve been with them a long time.
“It is what it is. I’m happy just to be here fighting in the last two races for my team. I just want to do the best job.
“We can still fight them (Ferrari and Red Bull), even though we are not fighting for the championship.”
No regrets for Hamilton over Mercedes move
LEWIS HAMILTON HAS rejected McLaren team chief Martin Whitmarsh’s suggestion that he was having regrets and second thoughts about his decision to leave for Mercedes next season.
The 27-year-old Briton, who lines up this Sunday for his penultimate race with the team that has been his home since he was a 13-year-old karting star, said instead that he was very happy with his choice for the future.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s potentially-decisive United States Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “I’m sure everyone has emotions within the team, but I’m still here giving 100 percent to them for the last two races.
“Of course it’s quite emotional for me but I’m very, very happy with my decision.”
Last week, Whitmarsh had told the official Formula 1 website that he hoped Hamilton would feel he had ‘made an awful mistake’.
He said: “He’s not going to say ‘hey, they offered me more money’. He’s also not going to say that he’s made an awful mistake.
“I hope he thinks today that he’s made an awful mistake and I hope he thinks that next year. He’s made that decision and he has to live with that decision.”
“It is what it is. I’m happy just to be here fighting in the last two races for my team. I just want to do the best job.
“We can still fight them (Ferrari and Red Bull), even though we are not fighting for the championship.”
- (c) AFP 2012.
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