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How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns is the title of an old Paul Simon song, about how we sometimes unconsciously act in a way that directs us to where we really want to go, even if we don't consciously know where that is. Last year in Hungary, as he ignored team instructions during qualifying, Lewis Hamilton's heart approached what it yearned - to be 'number one' at McLaren. Twelve months on, and Heikki Kovalainen was confirmed as Lewis's team-mate for another year. It's hard not to think that Hamilton's yearning has been satisfied. Here he was, leader of the world championship, clearly the main focus of the team, with a team-mate he likes but can usually beat, being confirmed and thereby keeping Lewis well within his comfort zone. Last year's line-up of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso was just too much. Too much competitive intensity in too small a space. Too closely matched a driver pairing. Too much of the paranoia that arises when those circumstances are combined with a potentially title-winning car. See also Senna/Prost McLaren 1988-89, except that last year it all conspired with an extra outside force that was tearing the team apart - that of Stepneygate. Something had to give. Lewis, whether he was aware of it or not, effectively gave the team the 'it's him or me' ultimatum. And that moment came in Budapest. Last year McLaren's meticulous method of equalising opportunities for their drivers in qualifying meant a highly intricate choreography between them in the old fuel burn part of the session. By ignoring the pre-planned sequence, Hamilton stole himself a weight advantage that unfairly increased his chances of taking pole from Alonso. © 2021 Autosport
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