Lewis Hamilton knows he must fix slow starts or face losing title race

15 September 2016 03:53

Lewis Hamilton fears his bad starts could cost him the title - and the world champion has admitted he does not expect his inconsistent getaways to improve any time soon.

Hamilton gift-wrapped victory to Nico Rosberg, his sole title rival, at the last race in Italy following his fourth sluggish start of the campaign.

The 31-year-old Briton was also slow off the line in Australia, Bahrain and in Canada, and his poor starts, coupled with a number of reliability issues in the early phase of the campaign, means he arrives in Singapore a mere two points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate.

"If you gauge my season, then the championship could be lost through starts," admitted Hamilton on the eve of Formula One's first night race.

"Considering I have had a lot of pole positions, I have lost the race from the starts.

"You do all the work during the weekend and then those two seconds, or whatever it is, has determined some of the races for me.

"Would I prefer my clutch not to have inconsistencies? For sure, but that is not going to change any time soon."

While Hamilton's Mercedes team publicly insisted his slow start in Monza was a combination of car and driver, the Briton appeared more at fault.

For Rosberg, it enabled him to saunter to his seventh victory of the season - and his second in only eight days. Indeed the German, who has never finished on the podium in Singapore, has led 96 of the past 97 laps following the sport's annual summer shutdown.

But Rosberg, who will celebrate his 200th grand prix start here, does not believe Hamilton's slow starts provide him with a psychological edge.

"They impact the championship, but it is just one thing of many, so I don't think it is something that should now be highlighted," Rosberg said.

"Of course, I am aware that the starts are an on-going challenge and it will not become easier for us.

"It definitely needs attention on my part, but I have been feeling good lately and I have had some good starts so I am feeling good about it."

Mercedes arrive in Singapore - the first race following the conclusion of the European leg of the season - haunted by their mysterious pace here last season.

Hamilton and Rosberg were more than one second adrift of pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel before the former retired in the race with mechanical problems, and Rosberg finished a distant fourth.

"I have no idea how this weekend is going to go," admitted Hamilton.

"Last year when we arrived we thought we were going to be fine and we were a second off. This year we arrive with the knowledge of last year, where the car has been, where we went wrong, and we have better prepared ourselves.

"We don't think we will be that second off. We may be ahead, but we may be level, and we may be behind."

Source: PA