Lewis Hamilton eyes consolation win

Abu Dhabi: Dethroned by Jenson Button in Brazil last week as Formula One World Champion, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton wants to sign off with a win here in Abu Dhabi on November 1.

"We've had a fantastic second half of the season, and it would be perfect to end the year with a win — it would send us into the winter fully motivated and pumped up for the 2010 season," said Hamilton, looking forward to the season-ending finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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"All the signs point to Abu Dhabi being another strong track for us — there are plenty of slow corners leading onto long straights, where KERS will be very advantageous," Hamilton said in his comments on next week's race.

"Seeing as it's likely to be the last race for KERS, it would be fantastic to send it off with a perfect result — that would be a very fitting farewell for all the engineers who have worked so hard to make the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes system the best in the business," said Hamilton, who finished third in Brazil on a day when Button wrapped up the Driver's Championship.

Norbert Haug, vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, had a word of praise for the Yas Marina Circuit: "This exciting season is coming to its end with the very first race at the new track in Abu Dhabi. This circuit defines the new state-of-the-art Formula One racetracks, and I'm sure it will be a truly exciting and hard-fought race."

"After both world championships have been decided, every team that is in a position to do so will try to use the chance to win this prestigious final race of the season. Since Lewis' first victory in Hungary in late July, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has shown a clear upwards trend," Haug said.

Commenting on the late form that the team has hit, he said, "Both Lewis and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have achieved two wins and five podium finishes, resulting in more points than any team and any other driver in the last seven races."

"We try to continue in that direction and hopefully with a similar result to the last street race in Singapore, which Lewis won," Haug added.