Lewis Hamilton reiterated his desire to get back to fighting for the Formula 1 title ahead of this weekend's Miami Grand Prix.
The F1 circus returns to Florida for the race's sophomore year on the calendar. This year it will be one of three races held in America, with the United States Grand Prix in Austin followed by the inaugural race on the Las Vegas strip – the penultimate round of the season.
The Texas race has now been a part of the F1 calendar for more than a decade and well established, but there remains work to do for Miami to achieve that status. However, contrary to some gloomy claims of a ticket sales slump, Mirror Sport understands attendance figures over the weekend are predicted to increase compared to last year.
And most of the drivers are certainly enthusiastic about racing in the Sunshine State. Hamilton is among those thrilled to be in Florida, and said: "It is a dream for us to be in Miami and in the United States.
"They have the Miami Heat and the Miami Dolphins, too. They are massive sporting fans here so to be in such an important city like Miami where sport is huge – and now Formula 1 is part of that. It is great to see.
"For such a huge country, it is amazing that we finally have three races here. The difficult thing with Formula 1 is that you usually visit a country once a year. But the growth has been huge and it is such a big market for the sport."
Despite his enthusiasm, Hamilton knows it is unlikely he will be racing where he wants to be this weekend. Mercedes remain some way off the pace of runaway leaders Red Bull and their first major upgrade package of the campaign remains a few weeks away.
Speculation persists over his future with the seven-time world champion's current deal expiring at the end of this year. But even though contract talks are on the back burner right now, there is no concern from either party that an extension deal will not be reached.
Jenson Button believes Hamilton's desire to win more titles will be the driving factor behind his expected renewal, and the Brit hinted as much at a sponsor event in Miami. "I just want to get back to the front," was his nine-word declaration. "That is what I am working on – trying to get this team back to the front."
