Formula One: Monaco? I've moved on, says Hamilton

MONTREAL (Reuters) - The media pressed him on Monaco but Montreal and Mercedes were the only M words Lewis Hamilton wanted to talk about on Thursday.

The double Formula One world champion faced repeated questions about the pitstop gaffe that denied him victory in the principality 10 days ago - and each time he replied with a verbal block.

What happened in Monaco, stayed in Monaco was the message.

The memory of that needless late pitstop, dropping him from first to third with the race all but won, was banished to the back of his mind and he was not about to relive the pain.

"I don't look back, I'm looking forwards," the Mercedes driver said ahead of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"I have not really thought about the last race for a long time, I've just been thinking about the next race and putting my mind to other things, training and trying to come back strong this weekend," added the Briton.

"I'm really not going back to Monaco," he added when asked another question about his thoughts on that race and why he had stopped at the Portier corner before the tunnel - the one closest to his apartment - afterwards.

"I've moved on. I don't even have to think about it. I couldn't care less about it."

Hamilton said all his efforts now were to shape the future. The past was irrelevant. "There are lots and lots of races to come, lots of improvements that can be made. I've got a great team and a great car. There's a championship to be won. That is all I am focused on, it doesn't matter what I have felt or feel now. Actually, I don't feel anything about it," he said.

Asked about the team de-brief after the race, lessons learnt and relations going forward, Hamilton again focused on the positives. "Things are good with the team," he said. "I'll keep doing what I'm doing because it's worked pretty well for me up to now," added the championship leader, winner of three of six races so far.

Hamilton leads German team mate Nico Rosberg by 10 points ahead of Sunday's race, a grand prix he has won three times in the past.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.