Mumbai: It is unlikely that speeds in Formula One racing will be reduced despite new rules and regulations being introduced by the governing body FIA, Formula One ace driver Lewis Hamilton said today.

“GP2 is getting faster and Formula One will have to stay faster. But the thing is every time new rules and regulations are brought in teams only get faster,” Hamilton, who was in the city for a promotional event, said.

The 23-year-old McLaren Mercedes driver, who almost won the drivers’ standings last year on debut, said he was in favour of the recent rule to eliminate traction control in the cars since it left a lot more to the driver.

“Without it (traction control) it is much more up to the driver. It really is incredible,” Hamilton said.

With new technology and rules, cars in Formula One were also set to look more like those in GP2 where a lot more driver skill would be required, he said.

Hamilton denied that the major teams like Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes had an advantage over smaller teams due to lesser financial constraints for development of cars.

“Formula One has been this way for many years. All the teams when qualifying are within one second of one another and it is not about who has more money but who spends it better,” he said.

Hamilton, fresh from victories in two consecutive races at Germany and England, was in the city for a promotional event organised by telecom giant Vodafone, and visited a go-karting track in suburban Powai.

The ace driver, who is leading the drivers’ standings presently, also drove seven laps in a kart around a truncated track to the joy of hundreds of fans, mostly teenagers, and flagged off a race as well.

“This is my first time in India and I don’t know when I would have found the time to come here,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton, who burst onto Formula One last year with nine consecutive podium finishes, and finished second in the drivers’ world championship, said it had been an incredible year for him.

When asked who his closest rival for this year would be, Hamilton said he expected it to be Ferrari’s Kimi Raikonnen, who presently trails him in the drivers’ standings by seven points. The Finnish racer had snatched the driver’s championship from him in the final race last season.

He, however, refused to choose between former team-mate Fernando Alonso, who is currently with Renault, and present team-mate Heikki Kovalainein.

The speed genius said he had heard of Indian Karun Chandok who is presently racing in GP2 and said it was a good training ground ahead of Formula One since it allowed big teams to see drivers.