Hamilton may force McLaren rethink

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he may force McLaren to rethink its testing plans for next weeks three-day session at Mugello after admitting he needs time at the wheel after a tough result in Bahrain. The Briton failed to finish on the podium for the first time this season at the Sakhir circuit with mistakes in the pits and issues with his tyres leaving him down in eighth place when the chequered flag dropped. Hamilton was due to miss the Mugello test with McLaren having instead elected to use test drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey, but the 2008 title winner hinted that he could yet ask the team to join the test in an effort to discover what was the reason behind the tyre issues suffered in Bahrain. “I need to get back in the car,” Hamilton was quoted in a number of British newspapers. “We need to figure out why the tyres are going off. If there are other things to test or ways to figure that out I will be the one to do it, not let someone else do it. “I struggled with pace, with Sebastian pulling away at a second a lap, struggled with looking after the tyres. I just wasn't quick at all. I still think I could have got fourth or fifth, but to end up eighth after two poor pitstops is disappointing. “The only positive is that I scored four points, but overall there aren't a lot of positives to take.” Hamilton added that he was confused as to why McLaren was losing pace on race day and said the team now needed to look carefully into the cause of the issues. “We have a lot of work to do,” he said. “We really have to make some big improvements to the car because the qualifying pace is there but the race pace, at least in Bahrain, was miles off. “We have to go back to the drawing board and try and figure out where we are losing time, because we are quick in qualifying. But something changes in the race, so we have to go back and work harder at the factory, and if anyone can fix it, it's us. “I'm sure everyone's frustrated, so we have to look on the bright side and keep positive.”