Formula One / Editor / 10 June 2008 /

Ralph Ellis picks out the hot topic from the tabloid papers every morning and tells you what's behind the news, with thoughts on how it could improve your betting. He'll help you keep in touch with what's spot-on, and what's merely spin.

Ever since Lewis Hamilton was a kid racing Go-Karts he has always refused to follow convention. Attack from the word go, take risks, try daring moves because winning is everything and second place is nowhere.

So where does confidence end and arrogance begin? It's a good question this morning as Hamilton has been reacting to his blunder in Montreal on Sunday when he ploughed into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari after ignoring a red light in the pit lane.

Hamilton insists the error won't affect his confidence and attitude when he next gets behind the wheel for real for the French Grand Prix in two weeks time. "I'm not gutted or disappointed. This will make no difference. We are just baffled how it went wrong in the space of 30 seconds," he says. What's more he reckons he can defy the ten place starting grid penalty he'll suffer in France as a result of the Canada cock-up and come back with a win.

It's fighting talk, but while most of the papers faithfully report Hamilton's optimism this morning the Daily Mail's Jon McEvoy raises the serious questions that come from Hamilton's latest misadventure. Their back page banner asks: "Is he unlucky, inexperienced, or just plain irresponsible?"

It's a fair question if you are still looking to back Hamilton to win the Drivers' Championship at odds of [3.6]. As McEvoy writes: "The big question is whether his blooper was merely part of the learning curve for a driver just 24 races into his career or whether there is something in Hamilton's make-up which will forever combine magic with moments of madness. How can he perform like a titan in the rain of Fuji and Monaco only to drive out of the pits at Silverstone last year when the lollipop was still down? And how can he put one hand on the world title in his debut season and then spin into the gravel during the penultimate race in China, albeit on worn tyres?"

McEvory doesn't just pose the question, he provides a possible answer from racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart who is one of Hamilton's biggest fans. Sir Jackie says: "Inexperience means you don't have the focus, the single-minded, clear-headed thought process when something unexpected happens"

Hamilton's error has helped make Raikkonen clear favourite in the market for the title at [2.36], but the Englishman's old Karting rival Robert Kubica shouldn't be ignored at a price of [9.8]. It's all too easy to dismiss the contest as a shoot-out between Ferrari and McLaren who clearly have the quickest cars. But as Polish prodigy Kubica says: "If after seven races you are leading the championship and your worst finish - apart from Australia - was fourth then you clearly have a car that is capable of winning. And if you have a top car then you are a top team."

The point is that Kubica doesn't have to win too many races to stay ahead in the Championship. If he keeps collecting points from podium finishes he'll stay in the running - and who knows if there's another collision between the top two waiting to give him the chance to sneak past and win some more races?

Five things you didn't know about Robert Kubica:

1. He drove in his first Go-Kart race at the age of four

2. He moved to Italy at the age of 13 from his home in Krakow after winning Karting races all
round Europe

3. He's a keen poker player and organises races among the other drivers on the Grand Prix
circuit

4. He lost nearly a stone in weight in the winter as part of an intensive fitness plan to improve
his chances

5. He loves rally driving and plans to switch to that form of motor sport when he's finished
with Formula One.

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