Hamilton unfazed by track problems

Many drivers complained that the track conditions were very bad after the surface began to crack up at Turn 7 and at the hairpin.

World champion Kimi Raikkonen said he had lost all chances of fighting for pole due to the loss of grip there, the Finn finishing nearly a second behind pole-sitter Hamilton.

The McLaren driver said he had found a way around the problem and admitted he was more worried about the safety car ruining his race tomorrow.

"I am not fussed," Hamilton told reporters after qualifying. "It is not going to cause me any problems as I know how to drive around it now. For sure it is better if there isn't a problem and if they can fix it, then great.

"For me, more of a concern is the safety cars that there probably will be tomorrow, and not getting caught out like some of the drivers were last year. I know Fernando was caught out, and in the last few years Juan Pablo Montoya came out of the pits with the red light, and also Felipe (Massa) last year.

"It is very tricky. We have to make sure that we focus on optimising our strategy and making sure we don't make any mistakes."

Hamilton said he was not surprised by the big gap to his rivals, as he reckons he found a solution that many other drivers did not see.

"What can I say? I put together a clean lap and everyone else was struggling with the track's poor surfaces and I found a solution," he said.

"At the end of the day if there is a problem, it is my job to find a solution and get around it as quick as possible. So I am not surprised that I have that big a gap there, because I can see other people would probably not have found it. So that is why I am on pole."

He added: "It is one of my skills. I am able to adjust to whatever conditions I have, and that is probably why I am so strong in the wet. I feel at home, I feel comfortable. And it wasn't tough, to be honest."

Canadian Grand Prix officials said they would resurface the hairpin area before tomorrow's race.