Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton may be facing a big challenge ahead in Japan, but he plans to remain calm and collected under pressure.

Speaking to the BBC, Hamilton - who is currently two points ahead of team-mate and double world champion Fernando Alonso - said that the reality of being able to win was just sinking in.

"It’s been a strange experience to realise I can win in F1 and for the championship to become a reality," the 22-year-old said.

He stated that it was "important" for him to remain calm and relaxed, adding: "It’s been phenomenal."

Hamilton recently claimed to be anticipating the forthcoming race in Fuji, despite not being familiar with the track.

Meanwhile, Alonso said that he is expecting the championship to swing between drivers rather than just be an easy win for McLaren.

"Ferrari were strong at Spa, we were strong at Monza, everyone in the team is pushing hard to be strong at Fuji, Shanghai and Interlagos," he stated.

For more about the Formula One season, click here.

What are these icons ?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2007 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Motor Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.