Lewis Hamilton insists he is far happier now he is at Mercedes following his switch from McLaren at the end of last season.
The former world champion has made an encouraging start to the 2013 season, picking up podium finishes in Malaysia and China, as well as securing fifth spots in Australia and Bahrain.
There was a point where I was driving and crashing – for no reason.
Lewis Hamilton
He is 5/1 to be the fastest qualifier for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and 12/1 to actually win the race.
Hamilton says he doesn’t feel as though he is under as much pressure at Mercedes compared with McLaren, saying: “I was in a very controlled environment for as long as I can remember and only recently have I come out of that.
“Nothing controls me now. I’ve obviously got a boss in Ross Brawn, but now I make the decisions and I don’t have to report to anyone.
“There was a time when I would make a call and worry about it, that I was wrong, because of the way I was raised to look to my dad. It felt like a lot of pressure and I don’t have that now. I can call my dad and tell him I’ve bought a house or a car and share it with him. It’s a different chemistry.
“There was a point where I was driving and crashing – for no reason. I just wasn’t on the ball. In this job you can’t be thinking of anything else, you need to be focused all the time.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton is 18/1 to win a second world title in 2013, with Mercedes 14/1 to be crowned constructors’ champions.
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We need to improve the car, we could see today the pace was not there.
Martin Whitmarsh expects Lewis Hamilton to stay at McLaren.