Lewis Hamilton hopes to keep British flag flying in Belgium this weekend

23 August 2016 04:53

Lewis Hamilton intends to take on the baton from Great Britain's triumphant Olympics team when Formula One roars back into action following its mid-season break.

Belgium's historic Spa-Francorchamps Circuit will play host to the sport's first race in four weeks on Sunday, and Hamilton will head there with a 19-point lead over his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg after winning six of the last seven grands prix.

And the Stevenage-born driver, who posted pictures of both Mo Farah and Andy Murray to his social media accounts following their gold medal triumphs in Rio - as well as Cal Crutchlow, who recently became the first British rider to win a MotoGP in 35 years - wants to carry on his nation's success in the remaining nine rounds of the season.

"It's crazy how quickly this year is going by," said Hamilton, whose hectic lifestyle included two visits to the Caribbean as well as trips to New York and Mexico during the sport's summer shutdown.

"It seems like a few weeks ago we were in Barcelona for winter testing and now we're through the summer break, heading to Spa. The first half of the season was a bit of a rollercoaster, so it's great to be in the position I'm in with more than half of the races behind us.

"There will be more ups and downs to come, I'm sure, but the way myself and the team have performed so far gives me huge confidence.

"It's been such a proud few weeks for British sport, with the Olympics and then Cal Crutchlow becoming the first British MotoGP winner in more than 30 years. I'll do my best to keep the flag flying this weekend."

Hamilton trailed rival Rosberg by 43 points after the opening rounds of the season. But following their opening-lap collision in May's Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton has taken 135 points from the 150 available.

In contrast, Rosberg has struggled to build on winning the opening four races, and finished a disappointing fourth at his home race in Germany before the summer break.

The 31-year-old, however, insists his focus is now solely on the second half of the campaign and upsetting the odds to win what would be a maiden world title.

"For me, it's like a clean slate at this stage," said Rosberg. "What's happened so far this season is in the past, and I can't wait to get in that car, put my foot down and get everything I can from these next races.

"Belgium is a great place to kick start the year after the break. It's such an awesome track, with so many challenges and usually some crazy weather just to mix things up even more.

"I'm feeling strong in myself, I know I'll have the best car out there and I'm massively pumped to be back on track, so let's see how it goes."

Source: PA