JULY 19, 2012

Car more important than money to Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says he will base any career decision about his future around driving the most competitive car rather than financial considerations.

Lewis Hamilton says he will base any career decision about his future around driving the most competitive car rather than financial considerations.

Mark Webber's decision to re-sign for Red Bull closed off another potential 2013 move for the 2008 world champion, with Fernando Alonso's presence at Ferrari also understood to have closed Maranello's doors to Lewis.

Speaking at Hockenheim, Hamilton said that he is no longer a youngster and does feel that he should have achieved more in F1 than he has. He is also well aware that Mika Hakkinen waited five years before winning his first world title with McLaren.

Lotus, meanwhile, has been showing impressive form of late and thinks that a runner-up finish in the constructors' championship is an achievable target. It is believed that any seat there for 2013, however, would involve Hamilton taking a substantial pay cut.

Asked whether he would consider driving for less money if he believed there was a chance of a more competitive car, Hamilton said: "I need to be careful how I answer that because I could hurt my bargaining power, but the car is the important thing."