HOCKENHEIM (Germany) - MERCEDES-BENZ motorsport chief Norbert Haug heaped praise on Lewis Hamilton when he was asked to review his performances this year.

Briton Hamilton, who won the British Grand Prix two weeks ago to share the lead in the title race with defending drivers champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Brazilian Felipe Massa also of Ferrari, had been under fire earlier for inconsistent performances.

'I think if you only have 10 races where you did not finish on the podium that is quite remarkable,' said the German, during a news conference at the German Grand Prix.

'If he had not delivered at Silverstone then he would have delivered here or in the next race.'

'I just think that the statistics say it all. He has done 26 races so far, in 13 he was first or second, I think, and three or four times he was third.'

'Sixteen times on the podium in 26 races..' He added that he felt his reaction this year to last season's disappointment in missing out on the title in the final race was excellent.

'I see a positive. You cannot continue like he started. It is a big, big surprise when you come into F1 and do nine podiums in a row.'

'In fairness, the 10th race last year was the Nurburgring, if you remember, when he had a problem with the wheel gun. It was not Lewis's problem otherwise speed-wise he could have continued as the potential was there.'

'I think that is what a good team is about and that you support each other and of course he did some mistakes like in Canada but he will learn from them.'

'But his statistics after one-and-a-half years of F1 are just brilliant.' -- AFP