McLaren sets the pace

Home hope Lewis Hamilton revved up for Sunday’s British Grand Prix in perfect style by setting the fastest lap time in last week’s pre-event F1 test at superfast Silverstone.

Boasting some significant aerodynamic upgrades to his McLaren, the Brit outpaced all his rivals, including both of the Ferrari drivers.

“It was really encouraging,” said Hamilton, who has failed to score points since winning in Monte Carlo in May. “The changes we’ve made have improved the car and I think we have a great package. It feels strong around Silverstone and I can’t wait to be racing in  front of my home crowd.”

Last year, Lewis paid the price for skipping this important test and never managed to fine tune his chassis to the circuit’s high-speed sections. Now he’s clearly learned his lesson and starts this weekend with a fair degree of confidence after topping the time sheets in the final build-up.

“I just want the fans and supporters to know that I’m working as hard as I can and so are my team,” insisted Lewis. “I expect it will be very exciting – it’s going to be one of the highlights of my career.”

McLaren’s improved form in testing has rattled cages at Ferrari. The Italian team won in 2007 and was expected to enjoy a slight advantage on Sunday. Last year’s victor Kimi Raikkonen is certainly expecting a tight battle between the two scarlet Ferraris and the revamped silver McLarens of Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

“I think it’s going to be close,” he admitted. “I don’t see the other teams challenging for the win, but with McLaren it’s going to be tight. We were strong here last year, and the car is good, so we have a decent chance.”