Lewis Hamilton Hopes His win In The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton hopes his win in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the start of a more positive chapter in his career.

The McLaren driver has had a trying season but feels he made a breakthrough at the Yas Marina circuit.

"It is early days yet, but this is definitely the start of something hopefully very good," the Briton said of his third win in 2011.

"We've got another great race ahead in Brazil and I've got to put my focus on that and try to keep the momentum."

Despite the win the 26-year-old cannot catch his team-mate Jenson Button in the championship this year, but he is proud to have answered doubts about his performances with a victory.


Hamilton has had a string of on and off-track problems, but he drove a controlled grand prix to fend off race-long pressure from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

"With the pressure I've been under and the doubt that has surrounded me, I feel massively proud," he added.

"I definitely think this weekend I've been clearer in my mind and had less weighing on me."

Hamilton has often found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons this season after a series of on-track controversies, most notably his collisions with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and his own team-mate Jenson Button in Canada.

Alongside all that, he has had to deal with a recent split from his long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and the deaths of two close friends.

Hamilton signalled his intention at the last race in India to eradicate all distractions in 2012 and felt he made a step in the right direction with his controlled victory on Sunday.

"I've had less [focus on] thoughts, issues and whatever problems that I've got," said Hamilton, who notched up his 17th career win.

"I was just able to drive clearly. In the last race I had that mistake [a clash with Massa] when I was not thinking straight.

"This weekend I was able to think straight and I don't know if that's because I had some great support here but I've had a positive feeling all weekend and I feel very fortunate.

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