WITH Formula 1 regulations on testing during the 2009 season set to be a lot more stringent, Herts speedster Lewis Hamilton remains supremely confident in his McLaren Mercedes team. Many garages have had to work that little bit harder in pre-season, and 2

WITH Formula 1 regulations on testing during the 2009 season set to be a lot more stringent, Herts speedster Lewis Hamilton remains supremely confident in his McLaren Mercedes team.

Many garages have had to work that little bit harder in pre-season, and 24-year-old Tewin driver Lewis believes his stable are on track as he gets set to defend his world championship.

"I think what is important is that because we have a completely new car, a completely new package, I have come back into the factory," said Lewis.

"And although I have been watching closely the development of the car, I am sitting down more with the engineers and it is a bit like the preparation I had for 2007.

"I am understanding the differences in the suspension, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and all the safety aspects."

McLaren has of late been one of the more reliable set-ups on the F1 circuit, and Hamilton does not expect that to change.

He added: "I have like only seven days in the car, and so we are going to make sure that we really extract the most from those days.

"Hopefully we don't have any reliability problems.

"We have been very, very fortunate in the past so I am confident the team have done a great job."

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team continues its winter testing programme in Jerez, Spain, on February 10 as it continues to hone its MP4-24 car ahead of the start of the 2009 season.

Hamilton will start the defence of his world title in Australia at the end of March.