• Mercedes

Title lead can easily be snatched away - Hamilton

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• Singapore Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton is wary that his new championship lead could be snatched away with one retirement in the coming races and has promised not to change his approach.

After winning the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton is three points clear of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the championship with five races remaining. Rosberg suffered a retirement in Singapore as a result of a wiring loom failure, reducing a 22-point lead to a three-point deficit in one evening.

After outqualifying and beating Rosberg at the last two races, Hamilton suddenly looks like the favourite, but he is determined not to become complacent.

"Momentum is not something I think about," he said. "It can be snatched away - just look at Nico, he's had good results and momentum but then one DNF changes things. I don't look at momentum, you just have to take it one race at a time and you don't know what to expect.

"In terms of performance, I'm happy that I'm back to being at my best in terms of getting pole positions and maximise those races. Today I felt I covered all the areas and did a solid job. I want to make sure that these next five races, if I don't do any more races in my whole life as good, these next five races have to be the ones."

Asked if he was relieved to close the gap, Hamilton added: "You would think that that's the case, but at the moment I'm not sitting here thinking I'm relieved. All year I've had that gap and all year I've been chasing, catching up and then it's gone again.

"I came here thinking I'm going to get those seven points [the difference between a win versus and a second place finish], Nico is going to be quick and consistent, but at least if I get those seven points and keep chipping away, that's what I came here for. Obviously I've got 25 points and it's changed things a little bit, but in my mind I still just want to get those seven from here on out. That's the mindset I'm going to continue with."

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