LONDON, ENGLAND, (Reuters) - Renault Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore performed a neat U-turn on Thursday when he said McLaren's championship leader Lewis Hamilton had learned from last year after all.

Hamilton allowed the title to slip through his fingers as a rookie last season, when Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen made up a 17 point deficit in the last two races, and Briatore was quoted last week as saying he could see the 23-year-old losing out again.

"In my opinion Hamilton will try to throw the title away again," he told Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper after the Briton failed to score a point from pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix.

"Hamilton has learnt nothing. We saw that in Japan."

Hamilton then won in China on Sunday from pole position, to restore his championship lead over Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa to seven points heading into next week's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

On Thursday, Briatore appeared to eat his words.

"He (Hamilton) has learnt from last year for this year," he told the autosport.com website.

"There is still one race to go. Normally if I need to put money on anyone, then for sure I will put it on Hamilton. He has much more chance than anybody.

"But if I am asked to gamble, then I will gamble on Massa because that will pay me more if I win."