• Brazilian Grand Prix

McLaren third fastest, says Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is downbeat about his title chances © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News:
• There will be no team orders in Brazil, says Whitmarsh
  
• News:
• Whitmarsh still eying drivers' and constructors' titles
  
• News:
• 'I'll be fighting until it's no longer possible' - Button
  

• Race:
• Brazilian Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Lewis Hamilton

• Teams:
• McLaren

Lewis Hamilton admits it will be a tough task for him to close the gap to Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber and win his second drivers' title.

Hamilton lies 21 points adrift of championship leader Alonso after his second place finish in Korea but he says that his McLaren is still off the pace of rivals Red Bull and Ferrari.

"It's going to be tough - we saw again in Korea that we've probably only got the third-fastest car, so we're probably not the favourites - but that's okay," Hamilton told his official website.

Hamilton famously won his first world title in Brazil on the final corner of the final lap in 2008 and is hoping that some new upgrades will enable him to once again experience happy memories at Interlagos.

"We're bringing new parts to the car all the time, and I know we'll have some more upgrades in Brazil - whether that will be enough, we need to wait and see. But I'm going to enjoy pushing - I've had some good races in Brazil, it's a place where you can really make a charge work, so I go there feeling very optimistic and hopeful of another good showing.

"At this stage, the aim has to be to go to Abu Dhabi with a mathematical possibility of winning the title. As we've seen so many times before, anything can happen at the final race, so Brazil will be all about prolonging the challenge and then maximizing everything for Abu Dhabi.

"Of course, it would be nice to take a win at Interlagos, but we're taking it all one step at a time at the moment."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.