Hamilton hails "best possible start"
Lewis Hamilton looked relaxed and confident during Friday practice
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Friday, 17, Oct 2008 10:35
Lewis Hamilton claims his McLaren's performance in Friday practice at the Chinese grand prix was the "best possible way to kick off any weekend".
The Briton goes into the penultimate race of the formula one calendar with a slender five-point advantage over Felipe Massa at the top of the drivers' championship.
And after a disappointing performance in last week's Japanese grand prix, Hamilton said earlier this week he was keen to make amends immediately by putting himself in contention for a win in Shanghai.
In both Friday's first and second practice sessions, Hamilton finished top of the time sheets with a best time of one minute 35.630 seconds - more than a third of a second faster than second-placed man Massa.
And he said the car's performance has given him "extra confidence" for a race where he needs to score well to give him the best possible advantage heading into the final race of the season in Brazil next month.
"From the moment we hit the track this morning, the car felt well balanced and positive - and that really allowed me to get into my day's programme without any problems," Hamilton said.
"No matter what we changed on the car, it just kept getting better and better and the grip and balance kept improving.
"This is the best possible way to kick off any weekend and has given me extra confidence for the next few days - I feel in a very good place right now."