- Mercedes
'I don't want it easy' - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton does not want the title to come easily this year, but admits he needed the 15 points for finishing third in Germany after starting 20th on the grid.
Hamilton dropped to 14 points off Mercedes team-mate and championship rival Nico Rosberg at Hockenheim after a brake failure in qualifying forced him to start out of position. Hamilton said things had not been going his way but that he is not worried the title might slip out of his grasp.
"It's not been a smooth season for me, as it has mostly been for the guy I'm racing against it," he said, referring to Rosberg. "But I never like to win easily. I don't want it easy. Some don't mind that, but I do like a challenge. At some points it does get a bit too much.
"But then perhaps if I'd had a collision with someone and lost points then that would have been really devastating, but I stayed clear just about and got points."
Hamilton drew within four points of Rosberg with victory at the British Grand Prix but said he felt his team-mate had still had the easier run.
"I didn't feel at Silverstone it had levelled things off. Obviously I was closer in points, but in terms of issues I've had a few more.
"It's going to be important, as always, to regain points [at the next races]. As you can see, anything can happen in a weekend, so I don't know what's going to happen in the next one. I'll take it as it comes.
"Nico did a great job [today], and I did the job I was supposed to do, but unfortunately I wasn't able to complete qualifying and I had to pull something out of the bag, which I've had to do a few times now.
"I'm grateful I was able to do that, grateful I've the car to do that, so it's not so bad."
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