Winning is all the motivation I need, says Dennis

RON DENNIS insisted he had no extra motivation to prove McLaren’s detractors wrong after the team enjoyed an excellent start to the 2008 Formula One season in Australia.

Lewis Hamilton comfortably collected his first victory of the season at Albert Park, while new team-mate Heikki Kovalainen finished fifth after being robbed of a podium by an ill-timed safety car period.

McLaren were fined a record £50m and stripped of all their constructors’ points last term after being found guilty of possessing technical data belonging to rivals Ferrari.

But while the Woking-based team enjoyed a 14-point haul in Melbourne to take an early lead in the constructors’ championship, the Italian marque saw both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa retire with engine failures, although the former did at least pick up a solitary point.

However, Dennis refuted the suggestion that Sunday afternoon’s race proved all the sweeter following the events of last year.

“In difficult circumstances teams either separate or come closer together,” he said.

“And we’ve come closer together. We feel that commitment will be rewarded when you get the results. We’ve been looking forward, that’s what we’ve been trying to convey. We are not going to spend any time on the past and certainly not at any grand prix. You have to learn from everything you experience and we are forward-looking.”

However, Dennis was quick to pay tribute to Hamilton’s performance as the 23-year-old negotiated three safety car periods that twice saw a comfortable advantage erased to take the chequered flag ahead of BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld and the Williams of Nico Rosberg.

“It was faultless because even with the most experienced people in Formula One, it’s the most difficult place to be leading the race,” he said.

“That’s when a mistake costs you so much. To lead a race and pace yourself, look after your tyres and all the other things, that is when you really have to drive so carefully — not driving 100% on the limit.

“And it’s when you’re not at 100% that you make mistakes, we know that from the past. It’s the discipline that makes the race so good for him, doing what we have to do to win.”

Kovalainen, who finished fifth, saw hopes of a podium dashed when he was forced into the pits for fuel shortly after the final safety car was deployed.

But the Finn was bitterly disappointed to lose out to Fernando Alonso for fourth place after hitting the pit speed limiter on his car when removing a tear-off from his visor. However, Dennis had plenty of encouragement for his new charge.

“I explained to him how punishing yourself has no benefits at all,” he added.

“We could see the pain that he was in. I know he feels that this is a spectacular opportunity for him and he doesn’t want to muck it up.

“And it would be counter-productive if he felt there was any feeling that he did. He didn’t. He did a fantastic job this weekend, he did everything we asked him to and without the safety car he would have had an absolutely sensational start.

“So he should take positives from that.”