Lewis must curb gung-ho attitude

From the first time he sat behind the steering wheel of a go-kart at the age of eight he has detested the very thought of crossing the line as a runner-up.

This desire to be the best inspired Hamilton to victory in junior forms of racing and also now in his first season at the summit, Formula One, in which he has trounced far more experienced rivals four times in 16 Grands Prix.

That is a phenomenal wins-to-starts ratio that the 22-year-old will be sorely tempted to improve in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix here, a race in which the first black driver in Formula One can become the first rookie champion and the youngest driver to take the title.

It is a temptation Hamilton must resist. Wise council, in the form of his father Anthony or McLaren team principal Ron Dennis, must persuade this precocious young charger to break the habit of a lifetime and race only for the points that will keep his title lead safe from Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

To do otherwise is to court the kind of disaster that cost Hamilton the chance of securing the championship in China a fortnight ago.

Forget the steer into a gravel trap on tyres worn to the canvas that condemned Hamilton to his first non-finish of the season. The real damage was done earlier, when Hamilton's natural desire to keep a pursuing Raikkonen at bay resulted in his tyres wearing at a greater rate than those of his rival.

Dennis had done the maths. "Kimi winning and Lewis coming second would have been adequate," he said.

Somebody must sit down with Hamilton and impress upon him the finer points of Formula One strategy.

The first lesson is to acknowledge the strength of the opposition. Ferrari will fly on Sunday. The red cars have won three of the past seven races at Interlagos and Raikkonen has no choice but to try and make it four from eight.

"Hamilton has seven points more than me," said the 28-year-old. "There's not much to calculate. I have to win."

Team-mate Felipe Massa is no longer in title contention and the Brazilian has pledged to help Raikkonen should the Finn be in a position to take the crown.

But if Raikkonen's challenge looks like failing then Massa intends to fight, and fight hard, for a second successive win in front of his home fans.

He warned: "I have no problems taking more risks and being more aggressive than my rivals. I know they are fighting for themselves and I am going to do the best I can to try and win."

So Hamilton would be wise to steer clear of the Ferraris and from a safe distance focus instead on the exhaust pipes of Alonso's McLaren. He wants to keep the Spaniard where he can see him, because nobody was fooled by yesterday's diatribe in which he intimated that his feud with Hamilton is a figment of everybody's imagination.

Alonso, who clinched the championship title from pole position here last October and who has finished in the top four in the past four Brazilian Grands Prix, knows every nook and cranny of the track. "It's definitely a lucky circuit for me. For sure I love the place," he said.

If Hamilton's inexperience was exposed in China, 26-year-old Alonso has been around long enough - 104 starts - to accept that titles are won by tactics and not just raw talent and speed.

"The thought is for the championship approaching this weekend," he said. "You don't care too much about the race result, you just concentrate on how many points you will get."

Alonso admitted he might get desperate in the heat of Sunday's battle. "I have to risk, for sure, to take places if I have an opportunity," he said.

Fourth place behind the Ferraris and Alonso would get the job done for Hamilton. He can save the heroics for any day, another race.

On Sunday the championship is all that matters. And Hamilton could end up a chump, not the champ, if he thinks otherwise.

LEWIS HAMILTON
Country: Great Britain
Age: 22
Car: McLaren
Position: First
GPs: 16. Wins: 4
Points: 107

The first black driver in Formula One is aiming to become the first rookie and the youngest driver to take the coveted title. The Briton made a sensational start to his F1 career, claiming nine successive podium places and has now won four times. He's cool, calm, charming and totally focused on becoming the champion. VERDICT: crowned king after win.

FERNANDO ALONSO
Country: Spain
Age: 26
Car: McLaren
Position: Second
GPs: 104.
Wins: 19
Points: 103

The Spaniard's mood swings from broody to volatile. He won the last two titles with Renault but switched to McLaren for this season believing he would lead the team's championship challenge. He didn't expect inexperienced team-mate Hamilton to be so fast and has not come to terms with that.
VERDICT: this time Alonso's a loser.

KIMI RAIKKONEN
Country: Finland
Age: 28
Car: Ferrari
Position: Third
GPs: 121.
Wins: 14
Points: 100

Global warming has yet to affect the Finn nicknamed the Ice Man. Raikkonen is monosyllabic and totally lacking in character yet he has responded to the challenge of replacing seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, having moved from McLaren at the end of last season, with a series of stunning drives. VERDICT: title on ice for now