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'Happy' Lewis eyes British GP

LONDON, England - Lewis Hamilton has put trials and tribulations behind him and is rarin' to make his first British GP appearance for Mercedes in a car he says is better than McLaren's 2012 racer.

The 2008 Formula 1 champion has no regrets about the move to Mercedes, given that many people were still questioning that move only months ago. After all, McLaren has yet to finish higher than fifth so far in 2013 after winning seven races in 2012.

Hamilton will be one of four British drivers at Silverstone but the one with the best chance of victory. Mercedes have won in Monaco thanks to Nico Rosberg and have been on pole for four of seven races.

BETTER THAN MCLAREN

Hamilton said: "I feel like I have a better car this year. We should be more competitive than last year. It is definitely closer (to winning) than what I have had for a couple of years. I'm looking forward to seeing what the car can do."

Two clouds that hung over Hamilton at the previous race in Canada have lifted. One was personal, the other an international tribunal that could have imposed heavy sanctions on his team for a tyre-testing with Pirelli but only handed Mercedes a reprimand and ordered the team to miss a young-driver test in July.

Neither punishment will have much effect on Hamilton or team mate Rosberg.

Hamilton said: "My mind was a bit clouded (in Canada), it didn't really affect my weekend in terms of performance and being able to do the job but I feel good. I'm looking forward to this weekend and just getting on with it."

Hamilton was at McLaren in 2007 when the team was fined a record R443-million and stripped of all its Constructors' points after a spying controversy; he had not allowed the tribunal to unsettle him.

Although Hamilton would not have taken part in the young-driver test, he said the lack of it would be a setback because it was the only opportunity during the racing season for teams to test developments.

Hamilton: "That does suck a little bit. It's important because we had a lot planned, upgrades and stuff, for those three days. We're going to have to try to figure out a way to recover it elsewhere."

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 F1 season – fresh reports every day.
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