Lewis Hamilton is confident he can hold Fernando Alonso

17-09-2007 11:58

Lewis Hamilton, 22, said he believed the advantage would ebb and flow between the two men.

However, Hamilton revealed that he was beginning to feel the toll of a difficult year.

Hamilton, who is in his first full season, has lagged behind Alonso for the last two events after failing to get his car set up to his liking.

And he conceded he could be suffering for his lack of experience, compared to the double world champion.

And Hamilton also dismissed suggestions by motorsport boss Max Mosley that the title would be tainted this year because of the spy scandal that has embroiled McLaren.

The FIA president said that Hamilton and Alonso would have been thrown out of the Formula One title race if he had got his way.

McLaren were last week fined £49.2m and thrown out of the constructors' championship after being found guilty of trying to take advantage of confidential Ferrari technical information that came into the possession of their chief designer Mike Coughlan.