Former World Champ Hamilton irked after missing podium due to tactical error

Hamilton irked after missing podium due to tactical error

Former World Champ Hamilton irked after missing podium due to tactical error

Lewis Hamilton was left fuming after a strategic error denied him a podium finish following the "drive of his life" at the Australian Grand Prix yesterday.

The 25-year-old McLaren driver's weekend had started on a low point after police caught him on Friday night performing a burnout in his road car shortly after leaving the Albert Park circuit, and things did not improve yesterday as he struggled in qualifying to start only 11th on the grid.

But, following a chaotic start to yesterday's race during which Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was spun at the first turn, Hamilton immediately went on the attack.

The 2008 world champion was in superb form as he battled his way up to third, where he pushed Renault's Robert Kubica hard for second place.

But Hamilton was called into the pits for a second tyre change midway through the race and when he emerged, he struggled to match his earlier pace.

He still managed to hold onto fifth, and eventually caught Alonso, before a late clash with Red Bull's Mark Webber sent them both skidding into the gravel.

Hamilton did recover but his challenge was over, leaving him to settle for sixth place.

Hamilton's teammate Jenson Button made just one tyre change early in the race and it proved the correct decision as the reigning world champion stormed to victory after pole sitter Sebastian Vettel suffered brake failure in his Red Bull.

"I think I had one of the drives of my life but unfortunately due to the strategy I got put further back and then got hit by Mark Webber," he said.

"I was in P3 and everyone else did not stop. I had already stopped once and my tyres were fine but I was pulled in for a second stop.

"I then had to work my backside off to close a 20-second gap and by the time I got there my tyres were destroyed and I could not overtake."

It was a crazy race, says FI's Liuzzi
Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi drove a beautifully controlled race to finish an impressive seventh in an action-packed Australian Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.

Liuzzi, who started 13th from the grid, completed the 58-lap race at seventh position, 59.8 secs behind the winner McLaren's Jenson Button (1:33:36), to score points for the second successive race. Liuzzi had finished ninth at Bahrain Grand Prix and took his points tally to eight after adding six from yesterday's race.

Meanwhile, India's Karun Chandhok of Hispania managed well to finish at 14th place.