Hamilton unveils new car for F1 title push

LEWIS Hamilton celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday by showing off the car that McLaren hope will take him to the Formula 1 title as the youngest champion this season.

The Briton, runner-up last year in an astonishing rookie season in which he lost out by a single point to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in the final race, said he was more determined and hungrier than ever.

"I honestly feel stronger," he told reporters after the MP4-23 car had been rolled out at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart, with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone taking a front row seat. "I feel great right now. I've done a lot of really good preparation already, way before the first test even, and I just believe that it's a fresh start for us all, turning over a new leaf. With the experience of last year I feel even stronger than I was. I can't wait to get back into the car and I'm extremely excited about the first race."

Hamilton's debut proved the highlight of a traumatic year for McLaren, who were fined $100 million and stripped of all their constructors' points for a spying controversy over leaked Ferrari data.

The Briton reeled off nine podium finishes in succession at the beginning of the year, unprecedented for a rookie, and took four wins from his 17 starts.

Now cast as team leader on the track after the departure of Spain's unhappy double world champion Fernando Alonso back to Renault, Hamilton said he would take the same approach to his racing as last year.

"Fingers crossed, but with the same sort of mentality and determination I think we can do well," he said.

"I thoroughly enjoyed last year, just the whole year. It was just the best year of my life but I know it can be better."



Hamilton has a new team mate, Heikki Kovalainen, the Finn whose place at Renault was taken by Alonso and who joins McLaren with an assurance of equal treatment.

"I would not have come to the team if I did not think I had an equal chance to fight," he told reporters.

"I have exactly the same opportunity as Lewis has and then it's up to me."

The launch was low on fanfare, and represented a return to fundamentals.

Stuttgart, home of the team's 40 per cent stakeholders and engine partners Mercedes, was chosen as launch venue for the first time in what some saw as a sign of the changing balance of power within the team.