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Lewis Hamilton is entering the new Formula One season with the mind-set of a challenger rather
than a defending world champion.
"I don't want to sit here and say I'm world champion, I sit here saying I want to be world champion," Hamilton said.
"Going into my third year, I have had to reset my targets right back to where I started in 2007. We want to win world championships for both titles (drivers
and constructors) for the team as well."
At 23, Hamilton became the youngest driver to win the F1
championship, and he's hoping another year's worth of
experience will help him defend the title. "We have to improve on the mistakes we made last year and hopefully we can push on," he said. "We want to win, that's what we're here for."
Like all the other F1 drivers, Hamilton, who won the 2008
title on the final lap of the final race last season, will have to master a major series of rule changes involving aerodynamics, slick tyres, a new power boosting system and adjustable front wings designed to lead to more overtaking.
Like other F1 cars, the McLaren MP4-24 has major changes to the front and rear wings and the drivers will have even more work to do in the cockpit, switching on the power boosters up to twice a lap and adjusting flaps on the front
wings.
Hamilton, who will again have Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen as his teammate, said: "The team always puts together a sound car and it's great to see the final outcome of all the hard work that's gone on."
Ron Dennis is stepping down as team principal on March 1, before the new season starts in Melbourne, Australia. He will hand over to Martin Whitmarsh, the team's chief operating officer, who will have the task of guiding McLaren to its first constructors' title since 1998.
"Our objective this season is to win both championships," said Dennis whose team lost last season's constructors titles to Ferrari by 21 points even though
Hamilton won the drivers' title.
