Hamilton says 2007 made him stronger

The McLaren driver endured a torrid few weeks last month, after crashing in the pitlane in Canada and then failing to score point in France, but got his season back on track with a stylish win at the British Grand Prix.

And he thinks the heartbreak of seeing the world championship slip from his grasp last season taught him valuable lessons that could be applied this campaign.

When asked in Hockenheim if he had learned anything from China and Brazil, he said: "Perhaps. I was always positive, but I took the mistakes and the bad weekends a lot more personal. This year, I'm a lot stronger as a person and as a driver I deal with it in a much better way.

"The bad races I've had this year I feel stronger. I don't feel I have to bounce back or recover - the next race is something different. There are always areas as a driver you have to improve on and you have to work on where they are. It's not always clear."

Hamilton is still on a high after his Silverstone victory, which he thinks was perhaps the most important victory of his career.

"It is. Apart from your first win in the sport, to win your home Grand Prix is something so special and so close to your heart it's difficult to explain it all. I had all my family there. My family had never been to a race before so had never heard what a Formula One car sounds like."