Herbert: Hamilton will be stronger in '08
Lewis Hamilton will be a stronger Formula One driver in 2008 thanks to the lessons he will have learned from his end of season dramas last year
That is the view of former Grand Prix driver Johnny Herbert, who thinks Hamilton will be mentally tougher on the back of his disastrous Chinese Grand Prix.
"I hope the experience Lewis has had will make him stronger than he was last season," said Herbert, speaking on stage at the Autosport International Show. "It is something that I am sure he has and I hope he does learn from his experience in China.
"He was waiting for the team to tell him when to come in and as a driver sometimes in certain situations, and that was one of them, he needed to tell them: 'I can't drive this damn thing any more, I am coming in.'
"For this season, hopefully that is something he can take on if he is in the same situation again. So that will be a mental strength that will carry him forward."
Herbert also reckoned that Hamilton will have little trouble adapting to cars with no electronic driver aids.
"I have seen that certain people have said that Lewis is going to struggle because he has not driven a Formula One car without driver aids," explained Herbert. "I do seem to remember that all the cars he drove before F1 didn't have those aids so I think he will be okay.
"I think we will have the same fight between Ferrari and McLaren so that means the same drivers.
"Kimi (Raikkonen) will be a mighty one again and I think all four of them, to be perfectly honest, will be up there. I don't see Renault come back this season, I think it will take a bit of time to gel again."
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