Hamilton determined to bounce back after pits gaffe

Two weeks on from Mercedes' moment of Monaco madness, defending champion Lewis Hamilton returns to action this weekend at one of his favourite circuits with a resumption of his early-season superiority in his sights.

If he succeeds, it will mean he has claimed his first win in a Canadian Grand Prix with Mercedes, and his fourth overall on the high-speed circuit where he claimed his maiden triumph with McLaren eight years ago.

Such a success, after the mayhem in Monte Carlo, would taste very sweet on the circuit that threads around the Ile Notre Dame in the St Lawrence River.

The 30-year-old Briton's lead in this year's drivers' championship was slashed from a likely advantage of 27 points to just 10 in Monte Carlo last month when his team called him in for an unnecessary pit-stop.

That incident, which demoted him from first to third, gift-wrapped an unexpected victory for his Mercedes team-mate German Nico Rosberg and left two-time champion Hamilton stunned.

This week, however, he will relish his chance to bounce back in the way he knows best by demonstrating his previously dominant performance advantage once again on the demanding, tight and unforgiving Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

It is a track that has, nearly always, brought out the best in Hamilton and where, in head-to-head records, he has a better results sequence than Rosberg.

Hamilton claimed his maiden F1 pole and victory in Montreal in 2007, won again in 2010 and 2012. Rosberg has yet to win.

On top of that, Hamilton outscores Rosberg 4-1 in podium, 3-1 in pole positions and 6-1 in front row starts, a set of statistics that suggest he has the potential to rebuild his ascendancy in the title race in the seventh round of this year’s championship.

As if he needed any more incentive, Hamilton also revels in the level of support he enjoys anywhere in North America and will doubtless be energised again by the Canadian fans.

"This is always a great favourite for me," he said before travelling. "I could not ask for a better place to get back out there in the car and bounce back than to do it in Montreal.

"I think everything that had to be said about Monaco has already been said. It was, obviously, a really big disappointment for me, and also for the team, but we will learn from it. I am sure we will move on, together, as we always do."

Rosberg has the momentum of two straight wins to boost him and can draw from the fact that he took pole last year when Australian Daniel Ricciardo secured his first win for Red Bull.

That was almost typical of the surprises that the circuit can deliver as it makes great demands of the cars' engines and brakes. In readiness for that challenge, Mercedes go into the race with new engines for both of their drivers.

"I still can't quite believe I was standing on the top step in Monaco for the third time the other week," said Rosberg. "It was very surreal and I don’t think I've ever been so lucky.

"However, that weekend also showed that I need to raise my game even further in the battle this year. I've got the boost of two wins behind me now… So, it's all to play for".
Source: AFP