Lewis Hamilton may be struggling in his second season in Formula One but Martin Whitmarsh, of McLaren, has no doubts about his quality and his ability to bounce back at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in two weeks' time.

Speaking after another disappointing race for Hamilton yesterday, the McLaren chief executive rejected suggestions that the Briton was becoming error-prone. “I think Lewis always comes out fighting. The reality is that with what he had this weekend - two penalities [one from Canada and a drive-through in yesterday's race], he did a great job,” Whitmarsh said. “If you look at the middle stint of the race, both our drivers on heavy fuel were really, really quick. There was no give-up. There was nothing wrong with Lewis's mentality. He was doing a great job in the car. There is great expectation that is placed upon him and that goes with the territory. Lewis will be determined at every race and will be extra determined at Silverstone.”

Whitmarsh added that, had it not been for Hamilton's penalty after his over-eager pass on Sebastian Vettel on lap one, his driver would have finished in the points in France.

Hamilton, too, vowed to return to form. “I absolutely 100 per cent aim on bouncing back at Silverstone,” he said. “Regardless of what's written in the papers, I will go back to the workshop, push with the team, focus on the next race and hit 'em hard. There is nothing you can do that can distract me. I'll keep battling and try to come back with a result.”

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