‘Perfection’ says Hamilton after German GP win

As Lewis Hamilton revelled in his German Grand Prix victory yesterday, one word continued to crop up in his post-race interviews: 'perfect'. According to the 26-year-old, he positioned his car "in the perfect way", his lack of mistakes showed "real perfection". Overall, Hamilton said, his drive was "close to perfect".
 
After a masterful display of racing skill in Nürburgring yesterday, few would deny that the McLaren man had cause to celebrate.
 
Starting second on the grid, Hamilton had already grabbed the lead by the first corner, overtaking Red Bull's Mark Webber after a sluggish start from the Australian. That early drama set the tone for a dramatic day as Hamilton, Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso continually tussled for dominance.
 
The key moment came on the trio's second round of pit stops. Having emerged from the pits wheel-to-wheel with Webber, Hamilton's refusal to change his line saw off the Red Bull's challenge for first place. Moments later Alonso then emerged from his refuel ahead of the Brit, only to be beaten round the outside as Hamilton pulled off a wonderful manoeuvre to regain the lead.
 
"Through the race, my consistency was amazing," Hamilton beamed after holding on to first place. "I think we really never expected to come here this weekend and be anything like so fast. We were hindered in the last race a little bit but the guys did a fantastic job… It was one of the best races I've ever done."
 
It has been a torrid few months for the Englishman: openly criticised for his aggressive driving style, continually dogged by rumours that he'll be jumping ship to Red Bull this summer, he has cut a frustrated and angry figure in press conferences.
 
In Germany, however, Hamilton drove with freedom. "That huge chip had gone from his shoulder," the Times's Kevin Eason noted. "The heavy emotional baggage that has weighed down his every move in the past few weeks had been dumped."
 
The Telegraph's Tom Cary agreed: "Hamilton's ecstatic celebration afterwards hinted that this one meant more to him than the 15 which had preceded it. Not only did it resurrect his slim championship hopes… it was vindication of his talent; of his aggressive style."
 
Hamilton now lies 82 points behind Sebastian Vettel, whose fourth place finish on his home turf was the German's first failure to finish in the top three this season. The gap may still be large, but from Hamilton's view at the top of the podium it certainly looks a lot smaller than it did last week. ·