Lewis Hamilton refuses to change driving style

Lewis Hamilton insists he will not change his driving style, following criticism that he is too aggressive.

The 2008 world champion has been involved in a number of high-profile incidents this season.

"I'll take my driving style to my deathbed, for sure," the McLaren driver told BBC Sport.

"People overreact to everything. You make a squeak and people overreact to it. That's the way of this world."

Formula 1 legends Niki Lauda and Sir Stirling Moss are among critics of Hamilton's driving, and Ferrari rival Felipe Massa thinks the Briton needs to "calm down".

"When you have some difficult races, when maybe you're trying too much, you have to calm down a bit," said Massa.

"It would be better for him, too, because he was paying for it.

"He was penalised in a few races. And it wasn't just with me, he even hit his own team-mate!

"But Lewis is a clever guy and I'm sure he already knows this."

Hamilton's coming together with McLaren team-mate Jenson Button at the Canadian Grand Prix is the low-point of an eventful 2011 campaign for the 26-year-old Briton.

Having been punished for two accidents in Monaco, he went to Montreal a fortnight later and got involved in three separate incidents in the first eight laps, the last being a collision with Button.

But Hamilton, who lies 89 points adrift of leader Sebastian Vettel in the standings, is undaunted and says he is not paying too much attention to the criticism.

"You have to turn it into a positive, so you just laugh it off," he said. "People will have opinions and that's life."

Hamilton, whose future at McLaren has been a source of intense speculation in recent weeks, will attempt to force his way back into the title race at this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

He lies fourth in the table, behind Vettel, Button and Red Bull's Mark Webber.