Ron defends under-fire Hamilton

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LEWIS HAMILTON

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Thursday 3rd July 2008

Ron Dennis has spoken out in defense of Lewis Hamilton, saying one must remember that the McLaren driver is still learning.

Hamilton has come under fire of late after one too many rookie type errors, the biggest being his Canadian GP accident which saw him crash into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's stationary Ferrari.

The mistake resulted in Hamilton being handed a ten-grid slot penalty for the following race in France, which like Canada also yielded no points for the McLaren driver.

Dennis, though, has defended Hamilton, saying people must remember that in only his second season in F1 the Brit is still learning.

"Most people don't really appreciate how difficult the drivers' workload is," the McLaren team boss told BBC Newsbeat. "It's one of those things, you've got to put it behind you and focus on the next race.

"It doesn't matter what age you are, you're always going to learn. Lewis is no exception, he puts a lot of effort into understanding the car better, working closer with the team, and maintaining the same balanced approach to his racing and his life as a whole.

"Inevitably, the learning curve for him is steeper now than it will be in two or three years time, but he's really risen to the challenge and he's a very completed individual and a very complete racing driver. It's a pleasure to work with him."

After eight races Hamilton is fourth in the Drivers' Championship, ten points behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa.