Hamilton: “In Korea determined to fight for victory”

Here we are at the usual pre-freedom declarations for the Korean F1 GP. The two McLaren drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, remember previous races, hoping to achieve good performances on this very demanding track.

Jenson Button
“We had a good race in Japan, now I expect constant improvement in free practice, qualifying and the race. The Korean circuit is quite challenging – every time you get into the rhythm the track changes unexpectedly. The first sector is characterized by long straights: turns one, three and four are preceded by large braking zones and require good traction on exit. The final sector is much slower – it feels like a street circuit – and once again compromises the pace you have to try to maintain throughout the lap.”

Taking a leap back to the seasons of a few years ago, he states: “I didn't have a good race here in 2010, things were better last year – I finished fourth, and it was the only circuit in the second half of the season where I didn't get on the podium. Our pace in the last few races has always been good, this makes me feel confident of getting my best result next weekend.”

Lewis Hamilton
“The car I finished the Japanese Grand Prix with was great – and I'm confident that we will start the Korean GP with a very strong package. I got pole last year. It was a very significant moment for me – I had been trying all season to get a pole, I gave everything I had to get the best out of the car. It was a huge effort, and a little overwhelming. In the race, unfortunately, we simply didn't have Sebastian's pace (Vettel, ed.) – he was able to overtake me and push hard. However, I managed to finish second: it was an incredibly difficult race – I had management problems, because the wing had tire residue, so I had to do everything to keep Mark behind me.”

“I think we had a chance to win the Korean Grand Prix in the past, but I've never had a race weekend where everything went well. We have performance on our side once again, so I head to Korea determined to fight for the win.”

Gianluca Latina