Hamilton critical of rivals' track manners

The Briton ended up fifth overall on the first day of practice for this weekend's European GP and, although happy with the track, he was not so pleased with the way good laps were getting spoilt by other racers deliberately slowing down to create gaps for themselves in traffic.

"It's very important to create a gap ahead if you want a clear lap - you can't see ahead around the corners because they're all blind," said Hamilton.

"Some drivers just back up into you. They take advantage of the fact they have a small gap behind them and don't care about who's following.

"They back up into you because they're trying to create a gap for themselves, but that compromises your fast lap."

Despite his feelings about that matter, Hamilton was pretty happy with how his day had gone.

"I feel good," he explained. "We've had a good day, apart from one little spin, and I think we've started on the right foot. We've slowly increased our pace and got though the testing programme."

The world championship leader also had no complaints about the design of the circuit, which has drawn praise from many drivers.

"The whole track is pretty much fine. The two long straights give you time to cool your tyres, then there are slower corners which demand you get your braking right. It is a tricky circuit."

"Today I've taken things step by step, trying to improve the car's balance. All the time I'm out there I learn new things about the track. It's just a matter of finding all the pieces and putting the puzzle together."