Lewis Hamilton in the pits during the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim [Picture courtesy of www.mclaren.com]

LEWIS Hamilton felt he did the best job he could in today’s German Grand Prix around the Hockenheim circuit.

The 25-year-old former F1 world champion from Herts improved two places on his starting position to cross the line fourth.

He finished behind controversial Ferrari winner Fernando Alonso, Maranello team-mate Felipe Massa, who slowed to let the Spaniard through on lap 49, and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who had started from pole.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes star was happy to have collected 12 points to keep him top of the world drivers’ championship with 157 points – 14 more than team-mate Jenson Button.

“I did everything I could at the start, because I knew that that was the place where I could really make up some ground,” said Hamilton afterwards.

“Unfortunately, the guys in front were phenomenally quick, but I still managed to make up a couple of places.”

The Tewin Formula 1 driver still feels there is work to do to improve the MP4-25’s performance.

Hamilton said: “It was a very tough race today [Sunday] – the car didn’t feel fantastic and the Ferraris and Red Bulls were very fast.

“We hoped the gap would be closer in the race than it was in qualifying, and it was – but, even so, we’ve got to make up some pace on our main rivals.

“We need to go back and figure out where we can improve, and pick it up again very quickly. 
“Today, we did everything we could do – now we just have to work harder than ever to get ahead of the cars in front.”

Those comments were echoed by reigning F1 world champion Button.

“Lewis and I showed today that we got the maximum out of the car – it’s just that the car isn’t quite quick enough at the moment,” he said.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh felt fourth and fifth was a respectable return in Germany considering the advantage Ferrari and Red Bull had in qualifying.

“Today we saw yet another impressively competent day’s work from both our drivers – and the result was 22 very valuable world championship points,” said Whitmarsh.

“In truth, in the circumstances, that’s probably about as many as we could have hoped to score today.”

He added: “We arrived in Germany in first place in the constructors’ championship and in first and second places in the drivers’ championship – and we leave Germany in exactly the same positions. So that’s extremely positive.”

The F1 circus moves to Budapest next weekend for the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on August 1.