McLaren star says he’s feeling the heat

Lil’ Lewis has publicly admitted that he’s having a difficult second season.

“There’s so much pressure, and I can’t begin to explain how much pressure I have on my shoulders,” he said in a BBC interview.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself. Too much. And that led to mistakes, being too on the limit. I wasn’t really enjoying it (at the start of the season), to be honest.”

And having been flavour of the 2007 season, this season he seems to be winning few friends in the paddock. This week, Fernando Alonso, Bernie Ecclestone and Robert Kubica have all had a little pop at Lewis…

“The errors (made by Lewis this season) don’t surprise me,” Alonso claimed. “The results that were strange were the nine podiums in his first nine races last year - that required some element of luck, and wasn’t all down to the driver. This year is more normal.”

It’s no surprise that Alonso should pipe up, although some Hamilton fans have read his translated quotes as more criticism of their hero, where others may just think that Alonso is spot-on; i.e., that it’s only natural for Hamilton to struggle to reach the heights of his rookie season - last season, he was in a win-win situation. Still, Nando should learn when to shut his mouth.

Ecclestone also questioned Hamilton’s talent this week, choosing instead to praise championship leader Robert Kubica: “If you saw him (Kubica) in a McLaren or a Ferrari, I think I’d put my money on him blowing away Hamilton,” Bernie said.

Ouch. We don’t agree that Kubica would blow Hamilton away, although Kubica would be a much more dangerous team-mate than McLaren’s current No.2, Heikki Kovalainen. Given Hamilton’s resilience and freakish hunger for success, Ecclestone’s words will only make him more determined to win in France on Sunday.

As a triple whammy, Bobby Kubica revealed that he’s not as close to Lewis as he was last season: “We have had similar careers and there is mutual respect,” Kubica said. “But I have the impression that we embarked on our adventure in F1 with a different mindset and this has made us lose a bit of contact… And he doesn’t know how to play poker.”

Kubica and Alonso regularly play poker together on race weekends. Seems like no one wants Lewis to be in their gang right now.