Macau: 'Mega' Lewis psyched up

The Manor Motorsport driver was the class of the field during qualifying, never really being challenged throughout the incident-filled 45-minute session. At one point he was almost three seconds clear of the opposition and by the end he still enjoyed a one second margin over nearest challenger Briton Jamie Green.

Hamilton's brilliant performance proved an eye opener for former British F3 Champion Marc Hynes, who acts as an advisor to the Manor Motorsport team.

"Lewis was just mega," Hynes told autosport.com. "He was simply stunning. Every lap he did was quicker than his previous and he got into a great rhythm and didn't make a single mistake. In the middle sector of the lap he was sensational and you've got to say he is looking in pretty good shape for this weekend."

Incredibly, Hamilton was not originally scheduled to take part in the Macau Grand Prix - but he was so determined to compete in the event that he went out searching for a personal sponsor to fund his quest.

In the end a close friend found him backing from a local Hong Kong company, Moulin International, and a last-minute deal was struck with Manor for the end of season spectacular.

That sponsorship breakthrough, allied to his frustrating time in Macau last year where a puncture robbed him of a podium finish, has left him seriously psyched up for a strong performance this time out.

"Things are just coming together with experience and I know that I can do it," Hamilton told autosport.com. "Last year I came here with an empty glass but this time I know exactly what to expect and that is making the difference.

"It is just a question now of staying away from the barrier and with new tyres we should be about one second quicker. So if I can produce the kind of performance I put in today then we should be in pretty good shape."

Hamilton's star showing in first qualifying came after an impressive day for the other British runners. Green was second, just more than one second adrift of the pole time, with Danny Watts fifth fastest.

Adam Carroll ended the day 11th overall, just ahead of James Rossiter, while Rob Austin was 17th.