Belgian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton targets victory on Formula One's return despite engine failure

The disastrous penalty, which is expected to equate to a 20-place grid drop under the sport's complex engine rules, has been looming over the world champion

Lewis Hamilton addresses the media in Belgium (Getty)

Lewis Hamilton insists winning the Belgian Grand Prix remains his goal despite an engine penalty sending him to the back of the field on Formula One's return to action after its mid-season break.

The disastrous penalty, which is expected to equate to a 20-place grid drop under the sport's complex engine rules, has been looming over the world champion after he encountered a number of mechanical problems during the opening rounds of the season.

Hamilton's Mercedes team had been weighing up whether to take the penalty here or at next Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, with both circuits expected to offer Hamilton the best chance of fighting back through the field.

But Hamilton, who leads his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 19 points in the championship by virtue of winning the last four races before the summer break, confirmed on Thursday that he will take the penalty this weekend.

No driver in the history of the sport has ever won from last on the grid. John Watson, the Belfast-born former McLaren driver, holds the record of winning from the lowest start slot after lining up in 22nd on the grid of 26 competitors before winning the 1983 Unites States Grand Prix at Long Beach.

But Hamilton, who arrived at a sun-blazed Spa-Francorchamps paddock flanked by his pet dogs, is still confident he can deliver what would surely rank as his finest drive.

"In terms of winning that is the goal, but it is going to be very, very hard," said Hamilton, who is just one victory shy of 50 career wins.

"I will do everything I can to minimise the impact that the penalty will have, and beyond that I plan to continue with the momentum I had before the break."

Hamilton crossed the line in seventh at this year's Chinese Grand Prix after he was forced to start from the pit lane following an engine failure in qualifying. A fire in qualifying also saw Hamilton fight back from last to third at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2014.

Lewis Hamilton says his Mercedes mechanics inspired him to recover from a poor start to the 2016 Formula 1 season (Getty)

On that day his comeback was aided by rain, but it is set to be dry for Sunday's race with unseasonably warm temperatures sweeping through the Ardennes.

"It is going to be harder than it was to climb through the field but I will do everything I can," Hamilton added. "It is about minimising the damage from taking the penalty."

A number of mechanical problems in the early phase of Hamilton's title defence contributed to him falling 43 points behind Rosberg, who was allowed to cruise to four victories from the opening four rounds of the season.

But Hamilton, who has turned the championship race on its head after winning six of the last seven grands prix, added: "It is a team sport, and we win and we lose together as a team.

"I don't look at it [the engine failures] as incompetence. I find it a growing experience for us because we learnt a lot from the issues that have happened. Hopefully we won't have those again.

"It is just unfortunate that I am the test mouse who has tested these issues, because no other Mercedes engines have had the problems I have had."

PA.