No Exit: World champion Lewis Hamilton has downplayed suggestions that he is ready to consider driving for a different team in the future. The McLaren driver made his Formula 1 debut with the British squad in 2007 and admitted after clinching the title last year his intention was to see his career out at the team. However, the British press reported this week that Hamilton was ready to consider other options for his future as the 2009 season is about to begin. The Briton looks set for a difficult start to the year, with McLaren having admitted its car is not as fast as they hoped. But, speaking to reporters in Australia on Thursday, Hamilton said he had no intention to go anywhere. "I don't have a view on it," said Hamilton of the comments reported by the British media. "You can take it any way you want it, but it doesn't make any difference. I am where I am and I am happy where I am. "All I said was that for sure if someone did approach me, I wouldn't tell them to f*** off. I would think, 'wow'. "It is great to see that there is interest in other areas but I am happy where I am right now, so that is all there is." No Points: World champion Lewis Hamilton says he is unlikely to score any points at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix following his McLaren team's problems during testing. "I think if we think optimistically then we can get a point," Hamilton told reporters in Melbourne. "But I don't think so, somehow. "We have to stay positive, and anything can happen, and we can get some points - last year only seven cars finished the race so anything is possible but in terms of true pace at the moment I don't think we are quick enough. But we will see tomorrow. "Heikki (Kovalainen) made some improvements on the last two days of the test, and I haven't driven the car since then, so with some new bits added to the car maybe we are a bit faster than I think." McLaren admitted ahead of the start of the season that its car was lacking downforce and that it was not as fast as it was hoping. Hamilton said the MP4-24 felt like it needed a lot more work before it's quick. "Well, it wasn't great," he said of the car. "I feel it is a work in progress but we have a long way to go." The Briton is adamant, however, that McLaren can recover as the season progresses. "For sure, we have all taken it personally," added Hamilton. "It is affecting all of us in the team. But the fact is that we are a strong team, we've been through serious ups and downs over the last two years since I've been here. And there is nothing we can't fix and nothing we can't conquer. "We will keep our heads high and there will possibly be some bad results, as there are every year, and we just have to make sure that when the car is right that we maximise and score really good points. I do feel that we will catch up just not right this second." He added: "There is a huge amount of intelligent and talented people around us who have now seen what the problem is, although it is a little bit late in finding out the problem, now they are working as hard as they can to fix the problem we have and improve the car. "This is a very, very strong team and if anyone can do it, we can. I hope!" Joins GPDA: World champion Lewis Hamilton has decided to join the Grand Prix Drivers' Association ahead of the start of the 2009 season, AUTOSPORT has learned. The Briton came under pressure from fellow drivers last year to join the body, but he said he was too busy to be a part of it. But Hamilton revealed on Thursday in Australia that he has joined the GPDA following talks with chairman and team-mate Pedro de la Rosa. "I've actually already joined the GPDA," Hamilton said when asked by AUTOSPORT whether he had changed his stance on the GPDA. "I have been talking with Pedro for the last month, so I am now a member." The world champion admitted he now feels he can contribute to it. "I had been thinking about it for some time, but I am not the type of person to be pushed into something I don't want to do," he said. "I just felt comfortable and sat down, had a good chat with Pedro and I said yes because it is something where perhaps I can contribute to this."
