I can handle pressure - Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says he can handle the pressure ahead of the Formula One title decider in Brazil on 21 October.

The British driver, 22, leads McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso by four points, while Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is seven adrift heading to Interlagos.

"I've been in these situations before and I can cope with the pressure," said Hamilton, who won the 2006 GP2 Series.

"If you start to reflect on the negatives in this business, it can adversely affect the way you think."

Hamilton crashed out of last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix while entering the pit lane to change his worn tyres allowing Raikkonen to win from Alonso and set up Sunday's Sao Paulo showdown.

And he insists he will remain focused as he bids to become the first man to win the world title in his debut season.

"It's good when you look at the reports but it's probably better I don't as anything can plant thoughts at the back of your mind without you realising it," added Hamilton.

"But when I think about getting in that car, there is nothing that gives me a better feeling.

"As long as I can do this job with the team I want to be with, being competitive and vying for championships, then I'll always be happy."

And Hamilton has likened himself to the laid-back Raikkonen, who is also chasing his first world title.

"They say Kimi's ice-cool, like he's flat-lined, but I think my subconscious is pretty much like that," he said.

"Kimi and Fernando have more experience but I know my character - I'm cool about things and I've bounced back from what happened in China."

And while McLaren have insisted they will treat the drivers equally in Brazil, double-world champion Alonso is concerned that he will play second fiddle to protege Hamilton after a series of fallings out with team boss Ron Dennis this season.

He told the Daily Express: "We are going to try to make the impossible possible. But I know the team are never going to be favourable towards me."

Source: BBC Sport