Hamilton still feels more hunter than hunted
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[July 25, 2016]
By Abhishek Takle
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Triple world
champion Lewis Hamilton still sees himself as hunter rather than
hunted in the Formula One title race despite victory in Hungary
putting him in the overall lead for the first time this season.
The Briton seized the lead from Mercedes team mate and title rival
Nico Rosberg after an unprecedented fifth victory at the Hungaroring
on Sunday that opened up a six-point lead over the German.
With half the 21-race season now completed and Germany's Hockenheim
circuit next up on Sunday, Hamilton, who has often spoken of how he
thrives in adversity, still sees himself in hot pursuit.
"I’m just still in the same mentality of chasing, I’m still
chasing," he told reporters.
"(It's) been great to be able to come back with fewer engines, with
the struggle that we had at the beginning of the year, so I’m very,
very proud of that but conscious that there’s still a long way to
go."

Hamilton trailed Rosberg by a massive 43 points after May’s Spanish
Grand Prix following a spate of reliability problems in the early
part of the season.
The 31-year-old, who singled out that Barcelona race and the
collision between the Mercedes pair as the low point of his season,
has hit back with a run of five wins from the last six races
including victory in the last three.
His early season troubles have left him short of power unit
components, however, and Hamilton knows he may have to take a grid
penalty or start from the back of the grid at some point later in
the year.
In order to limit the damage to his title hopes, Hamilton is aiming
for maximum points with races like Silverstone two weeks ago, where
he claimed a sensational win on home soil after dominating all
weekend.
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Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the race
REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

"I really would love to come out of the next race with another
result like this so that when I do go to Spa or Monza, whichever one
it is that I have to take my penalty...that it’s minimum damage," he
said.
"So I need to make sure I stay on it, like Silverstone weekends,
from now on."
Hockenheim is the last race before the August break, with the
Belgian Grand Prix at Spa and then Italy's Monza following on after
that.
(Editing by Alan Baldwin)
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