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INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana : Lewis Hamilton will step into his McLaren Mercedes-Benz car this weekend determined to take full advantage of the momentum that has made him Formula One's best-ever rookie by winning Sunday's United States Grand Prix.
Shrugging aside the controversy fanned into life by team-mate and rival Fernando Alonso's comments that suggested British favouritism, Hamilton intends to follow up his maiden win in Montreal last Sunday with another stirring triumph at 'the brickyard'.
McLaren team chief Ron Dennis may have played down the significance of Alonso's remarks, but it was clear from what the defending double drivers' world champion told Spanish radio that he is feeling the pressure.
Hamilton has moved eight points clear in this year's title race, leaving the Spaniard wondering what he can do next to keep pace with the 22-year-old newcomer's astonishing rise to fame and success.
"It would be worse if I were at Renault, or Honda, or any other team," said Alonso.
"I've won two races out of six, I've finished on the podium four times and I have those 40 points that will allow me to fight for the title in the end.
"I'm calm, I'm fine, though I know there is some impatience to return to the top and dominate. But I'm second in the championship. I'm eight points behind.
"At the moment, I am where I expected to be, and with a clear chance of winning the title in Brazil (the final race) and not now, in the sixth race."
Alonso's remarks that "from the first moment, I wasn't completely comfortable - I am in an English team, with an English team-mate, who is doing brilliantly" were swiftly turned into hard-hitting tabloid stories in London.
But Dennis, familiar with the terrain after overseeing the great battles between McLaren team-mates Frenchman Alain Prost and Brazilian Ayrton Senna two decades ago, quickly moved to quash the suggestion that either driver was favoured by the team.
Dennis said the remarks were taken out of context.
"Fernando's comments when read carefully are correct," said Dennis.
"He hasn't been with the team long and the relationship can only continue to develop. The team is not going to do anything to jeopardise this positive and growing partnership."
As this latest furore erupted, Hamilton won his race, departed Montreal and kept a low profile, resting up in readiness for his next assignment on a circuit where he is expected to be strong and where Alonso has often struggled in the past.
But support for Alonso, who last year complained of feeling abandoned at times by Renault on his way to his second drivers' title, came this week from his former Renault stable-mate Finn Heikki Kovalainen.
The former Renault test driver, who took Alonso's race seat when he moved to McLaren, said: "No, Fernando is not feeling the pressure. I don't think Lewis has any impact on him at all. Fernando is mentally very tough. He is one of the top guys and he pushes hard to win every race.
"Mistakes can happen and especially when you race like that. Yes, he may have made a mistake in Barcelona and one in Canada, and because they happened in a short period of time, it looks dramatic. But I don't think it affects him.
"He is going to fight for this championship for sure."
Hamilton, who dedicated his Montreal win to his father Anthony, is likely to maintain his polite, low profile style off the track, but show his class and determination on it again when he starts work on Friday.
Only a superlative effort by Alonso in Sunday's race can prevent the young English sensation from claiming his second win and staking an outright claim to become champion in his first season.
And he is sure to be buoyed by the presence in Indianapolis of a fit - except for a sprained ankle - Robert Kubica, who will turn up at the Indiana track hoping to pass a fitness test and race.
Hamilton is the same age as the highly-rated Pole and they have come through the junior ranks together as friends. - AFP/de
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