LEWIS VOW

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Jun 22, 2008 | by BYRON YOUNG

LEWIS HAMILTON insisted yesterday there will be "no more king of bling" after suffering more race-track misery.

McLaren's ace racer slid wide twice as he qualified third for today's Magny-Cours precursor to the British Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

But with a 10-place penalty from his Montreal pit lane gaffe, he was dropped to his worst grid start of the year in 13th.

McLaren, fined pounds 50million last year, saw both their cars penalised for the second time in seven races as Heikki Kovalainen was demoted five places to 10th.

In this unloved corner of France, Hamilton's glum, if determined, mood was not out of place.

Even before the action had started yesterday he said his celebrity lifestyle was now on hold to focus on a tense title chase.

"I really want to enjoy the lifestyle but I don't need to be walking down the red carpet saying, 'Yeah!'" he said.

"I don't need to be seen. I enjoy just being there. At the MTV awards I went in the back door and no one even knew I was there. I want to try and avoid all the celebrity stuff as much as I can because people will start saying I'm doing this or that."

As for the criticisms that are obviously keenly felt, Hamilton says only one voice really matters to him.

"I listen to my team bosses because I know they say things for the right reasons but 99.9 per cent of the time my dad's opinion is what counts," he added.

Yesterday the best Hamilton could have managed was 11th but in the final shoot-out he slid wide twice on the exit of the first chicane and the three-tenths that ebbed away, as his McLaren scrambled across the asphalt desperately looking for traction, cost him.

Title rivals Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa camped across the front row for the third time this season.

The Finn's landmark 200th pole for Ferrari made it unlikely anything other than a red racer will be on the top step of the podium.

Hamilton drew comfort, though, from the world champion's charge through the ranks from 13th here in 2005 to finish second.

"It shows it can be done," he said.

Were there any other name but Hamilton on the side of the McLaren, podium talk would not be taken seriously. But after the miracle of Monaco, even a win cannot be ruled out.

Hamilton said: "I'm disappointed with qualifying. I apologise to the team. I made the same mistake twice.

That's life.

"The penalty doesn't help but it doesn't hang over you. Rules are rules and we'll do our best."

Body language indicated, though, that Hamilton felt it was unjust.

Some agree it is iniquitous that Raikkonen escaped scot-free after causing "an unavoidable accident" in Monaco while Hamilton did not.

Jenson Button, whose Honda team already appear to have turned their focus to the 2009 season, will start 17th, almost certainly on a one-stop strategy yet again.

David Coulthard lines up seventh, his best grid position of the season.

STANDINGS

1 Robert Kubica 42

2 Lewis Hamilton 38

3 Felipe Massa 38

4 Kimi Raikkonen 35

5 Nick Heidfeld 28

6 Heikki Kovalainen 15

7 Mark Webber 15

8 Jarno Trulli 12

9 Nico Rosberg 8

10 Fernando Alonso 9

GRID

1. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari

2. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari

3. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault

4. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota

5. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren

6. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber

7. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault

8. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull - Renault

9. Timo Glock (Germany) Toyota

10. Nelson Piquet (Brazil) Renault

11. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber

12. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Toro Rosso - Ferrari

13. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren

14. Sebastien Bourdais (France) Toro Rosso - Ferrari

15. Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) Williams - Toyota

16. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda

17. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda

18. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Force India - Ferrari

19. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India - Ferrari

20. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams - Toyota