McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh feels a "battle-hardened" Lewis Hamilton has the stomach to cope with the latest rollercoaster ride in his Formula One career.

For the second time this season, Hamilton relinquished his lead of the championship on Sunday when he crashed out on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after colliding with the left rear wheel of Felipe Massa's Ferrari.

"Lewis' career has often been a rollercoaster, but then he is a dynamic and exciting driver," said Whitmarsh. "He's been through some great championship campaigns, through a few rollercoasters before, and so he's fairly battle-hardened."

The 2008 world champion trails Red Bull's Mark Webber by five points with five races remaining, the Australian leading the way for the third time this year.

Certainly Hamilton's mental strength, as much as anything, is being tested to the limit by such a tumultuous journey.

Whitmarsh added: "Of course both he and us were disappointed with what happened on Sunday, but he is massively resilient.

"I'm sure he'll be focused on the championship contest ahead, and he'll bounce back in Singapore. He won there last year and he'll be trying to win this year. He's only five points behind now, and with the new points system that's nothing, so he'll be pushing hard."

Whitmarsh knows the line between pulling off a great overtaking manoeuvre and looking foolish by crashing is a fine one, but he appreciates it is also a line Hamilton is willing to tread more often than not.

"For Lewis to come away with no points when you are fighting for a championship was quite tough and disappointing," added Whitmarsh.

"He's looked at, we've looked it, and inevitably in the cold light of day and in a calm environment you wish you hadn't done some things. But that is what a great racing driver has to do, he has to take risks, go out there and push, and on this occasion it didn't come off."