Lewis suffers water torture
LEWIS HAMILTON’S 100 per cent start to the F1 season was ended by Malaysian water-torture.
Hamilton had to race 56 laps WITHOUT a single drop to drink.
He said: “I couldn’t get water from the bottle. It just didn’t work — I didn’t have any all race.
I was really thirsty and needed to drink lots of bottles after the race.
“But the great thing is my fitness and, physically, I felt fine. I was able to push all the way.
“For me it is great that I feel OK and could drive the car without any water.
Hamilton loses 7lbs
“I feel a lot better than I did after the race here last year.”
McLaren ace Hamilton, 23, lost over half a stone during his Sepang sauna as temperatures soared to over 100 degrees.
He started ninth on the grid after getting demoted five places following qualifying when race stewards ruled he impeded BMW’s Nick Heidfeld.
Despite seeing Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen cruise to victory, Hamilton came home in fifth place and still leads the championship by three points after the opening two races.
The Formula One circus now heads to Bahrain for the next race in 13 days.
Hamilton added: “It was one of those weekends. So-so.
“It wasn’t easy with the penalty and the Ferraris’ pace but we can bounce back.
“Without the penalty we would have been second and third maybe. But this is racing, these are the rules.
“We can improve and I am looking forward to the next race. I am still leading the championship.
“I still got four points and that is key.
“I was push, push, pushing to get as many points as possible. At least the reliability of the car was great and we had good pace.
“I got stuck in a lot of traffic and had the wheel-nut problem at the pit-stop.
“If that had not happened it would have been a lot easier. In my first and second stints behind people, my tyres were shot.
“When I was in the clear my pace was good.
“I pressed really hard to get that fourth place at the end.
“I really wanted that extra point and believed we could get it but Jarno Trulli drove really well.”
