Hamilton: Problems in Hungary a reminder McLaren can't be complacent

Hamilton went into the Hungarian Grand Prix as hot favourite to win his third successive race after dominating practice and qualifying.

But the 23-year-old was surprisingly left lagging behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa during a race in which a punctured tyre saw him trail home fifth.

Lewis Hamilton picked up a puncture towards the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix and could only finish fifth

Hamilton, though, still managed to extend his championship lead by a point to five due to Massa's Ferrari engine agonisingly blowing three laps from home.

But Ferrari's sudden resurgence in form on race day hit home for Hamilton, who said: 'In a way, the result in Hungary was a very important lesson for the team.

'It showed us in no uncertain terms we cannot afford to be complacent and need to work hard throughout the summer break to make sure we can hit back strongly in Valencia.

'You can never under-estimate a team like Ferrari, and we know they'll be pushing just as hard as us to gain an advantage for the remainder of the year.

'Who knows, if we'd had an easier race in Hungary, maybe it would have come back and bitten us later in the season, so I feel confident we won't be taking anything for granted.

'I know everybody will be working flat out to make sure we can be strong in
all the remaining races."

Hamilton is currently recuperating from a demanding start to the season before taking on a rigorous training regime to ensure he is fit for the title push over the final seven races.

The first of those sees Valencia make its F1 debut on August 24 as a circuit has been designed around the Spanish city's port area.

Hamilton feels the venue could become one of the highlights of the season.

'I've had a look at some onboard footage of the track and will be working with the team over the break to prepare for the event.

'From the footage, the track looks amazing. I love street circuits, but this one looks extremely fast and unforgiving in some places.

'As a driver, it's always fun to go to a new circuit. I really enjoy driving at new places and feel confident I can pick up new circuits quickly.

'It looks like being an amazing event.'