“There is no reason in my mind why he cannot now raise himself to another
level.
“You could see in Abu Dhabi he was pretty happy with his win there, which
should enable him to drive with greater confidence and attack that little
bit extra.”
Whitmarsh appreciates the year has been a “challenging” one for Hamilton,
beaten for the first time by a team-mate since he set off in single-seater
racing in 2001.
Back-to-back wins with which to end the season would likely go some way
towards easing the pain he has endured overall.
Whitmarsh said: “He did a great job in Abu Dhabi, and he will focus on the
positive of that.
“He’ll now be saying ‘right, when can I get to Brazil, I love that circuit’,
and he’ll want to win there.
“With one more race to go, if we can win that then it will be a
half-reasonable season.
“We’re keen to take our seventh win this year. Lewis and Jenson have scored
three wins apiece and each are equally motivated to take their fourth.
“From a team management perspective, that’s an excellent position for us to be
in.”
With no pressure on Hamilton, he admits he will simply be out to enjoy himself
as he aims for successive wins for the first time since the middle of last
year.
“Winning in Abu Dhabi last week was a fantastic feeling, and it’s made me even
more determined to finish the season with a victory,” said Hamilton.
“It would be great to go into the winter off the back of another win, so
that’ll be my aim.
“Of course, for Jenson and myself, Interlagos is the circuit where we won the
world championship so it will always hold happy memories for us.
“In fact, I’ve only been here once before (in 2009) when I wasn’t in
contention for the championship.
“This year, with both titles already wrapped up, I want to enjoy myself, and I
think we have the car to again make a difference.
“Hopefully we’ll pick up where we left off in Abu Dhabi, so we’re all set for
a great end to the 2011 championship.”