• Hungarian Grand Prix
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Germany a big dent to title hopes - Hamilton

ESPN Staff
July 26, 2012 « Button adapting for 2012 Pirellis | Webber learning from Hockenheim struggles »
Lewis Hamilton: "Not finishing a race is as big a dent as you can take" © Sutton Images
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Lewis Hamilton says he cannot afford more DNFs this year after failing finish in Germany last weekend.

The McLaren driver started the season priding himself on consistent points finishes, but he has failed to finish two of the last three races. He retired from the European Grand Prix after a collision on the penultimate lap and then a puncture caused damage to his car at Hockenheim and forced him to park the car.

Hamilton is now 62 points off the top of the championship and said the he could not afford more results like Germany.

"It was as big a dent [to my championship hopes] as you could probably take, just as Valencia was," he told media on Thursday. "Through a season, not finishing a race is as big a dent as you can take. There's only a certain amount of dents you can take like that, especially when the guy that is leading has finished every race."

But Hamilton said he took some hope from the pace of the McLaren in Germany.

"First looking at Jenson's result it was fantastic so we know we've got a quick car," he said. "Looking at the pace that I had during the race and the issues that we had - my differential was quite badly damaged and the left rear corner of the floor was destroyed - to know that I was losing so much downforce but was still quite competitive is definitely comforting."

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