Hamilton concerned by lack of test time

Lewis Hamilton (L) with his father. His father will not be around as much this year now that his son's career is established.

Lewis Hamilton got his first taste of the 2009 McLaren car this week in Portugal, but he, along with all the other drivers present found their programs disrupted by poor weather conditions.

With new restrictions on testing, and a ban on all testing during the season, Hamilton is concerned about the comparatively shorter amount of time he has to get to grips with his new ride, especially given the dramatic new regulations.

"I've got seven days to master the car, where normally I would have had twenty," Hamilton told BBC Sport. "It's a completely new package for all of us and it's going to be interesting."

"We have a huge challenge ahead with KERS, with its reliability and also finding the new set-up," Hamilton added. "It's been good to be back working with the team. This first test was all about just getting used to the new car and new regulations and about giving my feedback to the engineers – it wasn't about setting a fast time."

"I'm pleased to report the car feels good, we've made lots of progress over the winter and I'm looking forward to developing the car ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. With limitations on testing during the season and the few sessions we have before then, this will be an intense time and absolutely critical for every team."