Hamilton says he won't repeat Bahrain mistake

By Alan Baldwin

BARCELONA (Reuters) - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday he had learnt his lesson and was ready to make amends in Spain this weekend for his disappointing last race in Bahrain.

"I approach it in the same way, obviously I won't be making the same mistake again," he told reporters at the Circuit de Catalunya.

"Just being here, feeling fresh after a good break from racing, and making sure we come here fresh has been important. I feel good," he added.

Hamilton, last year's overall runner-up in his rookie Formula One season, won the opening Australian Grand Prix in March but finished only fifth in Malaysia and then slumped to 13th in Bahrain.

The 23-year-old made a mistake on the starting grid and said afterwards that he had let the team down with the lowest finish of his fledgling career.

"We had the car to do a better job and I didn't do it," he repeated on Thursday.

"The team were very, very supportive and so were my family and I just took it on the chin and kept my chin high, and said that at the next race we will do a better job."

Since then the Briton has tested in Barcelona, with Mercedes-powered McLaren introducing a package of improvements to the car.