Question: Lewis, you made a gamble to keep back a fresh set of tyres. Was it the gamble that paid off for you today?
Lewis Hamilton: I think today the strategy we came up with going into qualifying definitely helped. I think my new option tyre seemed to last a little bit longer than the guys in front but I think it was quite a few things that came together really. The pitstops were fantastic. It was good for us. The guys are always pushing to improve and the car felt great. I was just trying to nurse my tyres whilst trying to pick up pace. It was one of the best races I have experienced where guys were out in front of me and I had to do quite a lot of overtaking. But thumbs up to the guys back at the factory and in the garage. They really put their hearts into developing the car and making the car the best it can be every weekend. It feels amazing to be able to bring home the victory for them.
Question: We saw your emotion at the end of the race. We didn’t quite see your emotion at the start of the race. What was going on with your car as you only just made it to the grid and how worried were you that you might not be able to start?
Lewis Hamilton: I don’t think worried was coming into my thoughts to be honest. I was in the car nice and early to go out and then we had a problem as the car just would not start. I am still not sure exactly what went on but they had to take a lot of the bodywork off and I knew there was six minutes to go. Then there was two minutes to go but fortunately everything just came together very quickly. The guys did a great job but, of course, for me it is very important to stay as clam as possible as that reflects on all the guys in the garage. I tried to stay positive and they got the car out which was the most important.
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Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton Drizzles Away Drought by Chinese Grand Prix Win
Formula 1: Chinese Grand Prix - Race Results
Question: Lewis, your first grand prix race win of the season and the first non-Red Bull race win of the season. Is this game on in the title now?
Lewis Hamilton: I think we have still got a long road ahead of us but we are working very, very hard to close the gap. I think the race pace we are quite similar but in qualifying we still have got a lot of work to do. But I am absolutely overwhelmed. It feels like a long, long time since I was sitting here. Feel very proud and extremely grateful for all the hard work the guys put in and I will continue to push. These guys do a fantastic job and I am looking forward to many, many more great races like this.
Question: Lewis, we were just talking about trying to remain calm in the garage with everyone rushing around wiping up whatever it was on the floor. But you had no idea what it was?
Lewis Hamilton: I really didn’t know. The car just wouldn’t start. I was very, very curious. We have had it not start initially several times in the past so I thought it was nothing. But when they kept trying it was becoming more and more of a concern for everyone. I could see everyone was doing their best to find out what the situation was and also fix it so I didn’t want to be asking questions all the time, saying ‘what is going on, what’s going on’ so I just said ‘how long have we got until the pit-lance closes?’ It was six minutes at the time so I could relax really. I think I could relax at the time as I just have real confidence in the guys that they would figure it out. I didn’t think it was going to be too big a problem, but it was right on the limit. I don’t know how long?
Question: Thirty seconds.
Lewis Hamilton: Thirty seconds, yeah. As I was driving to the light I was nervous that just as I got to it, it would go red, but fortunately we got out and there was no problem. Then there was a bit of a rush on the grid with the guys but as always they did a professional job, kept their heads cool and thanks to that we are sitting here having won.
Question: Combined with the fact that it has been a car that you have made into a winner in three weeks really from Australia where there were brand new bits on it. In itself, that is phenomenal.
Lewis Hamilton: It is and that’s really a true showing of the strength of our team. We came out to Barcelona with the upgrade package we had there and it really wasn’t working and the reliability was a disaster. We couldn’t even get past 20 laps. Then they pushed very hard in the space of a week-and-a-half, two weeks, and it was just incredible what they were able to bring to Australia. Australia was our first race distance and the car has been great. It really has been great. Red Bull are doing a fantastic job. They are very, very fast. They have got a wonderful car and they are doing the job and we are having to push with absolutely everything we have to try and close the gap. I think today we were similar pace perhaps in the race, I think they were generally a little bit quicker, but I think it was just due to us just trying to be a little bit smarter on the strategy and making it work and fortunately it did today. Other times perhaps it won’t work out but today it did so we are very happy.
Question: Was that the reason for the emotion at the end. The relief of getting on to the top of the podium?
Lewis Hamilton: I think the emotion probably comes from the desire to win, the desire to be better and the desire to compete against the toughest drivers in the world. When you haven’t won for a while, I can’t remember the last time I won but when you haven’t won for a while it feels like an eternity so you just keep pushing, trying to keep your mind fresh. I think with the whole thing that happened in the pit-lane, I was confident going into the race but perhaps I wasn’t even going to be in the race. I thought I was going to be back with Mark and obviously just the way the race turned out. I came out behind someone and I think Sebastian came past me at one stage. I wanted to pit at one stage and Jenson was pitting so I couldn’t pit as he was pitting. I had to try and keep things up and I was just able to pull through several cars. I couldn’t believe I was catching Sebastian. He was doing a great job to stay ahead. He put up a very, very fair and strong fight and I am very happy I was able to get by.
Question: Was it an enjoyable race for you as it was for us?
Lewis Hamilton: It was absolutely, every inch of the race, every second, was incredibly enjoyable. I love being able to fight with different drivers and have the battles and have them at their best. I really felt that today. Whilst the tyres were going off on some of the cars I felt they were really performing and driving very well to defend their position, so it made that even more exciting.
Question: Lewis, could you describe your move on Jenson?
Lewis Hamilton: Ummm. I don’t remember it. I can’t remember it. I’m in a daze right now. Where did I overtake him? First corner. Yeah, I remember now. I’m not joking. Jenson seemed to… I think it was on our last or second stint and basically I was able to catch him. I had my new tyres which, as I said in qualifying, I was able to save and they just seemed to hold on a little bit longer than Jenson’s, so I was able to close the gap and I knew that I had a pit stop coming up, so I was able to push quite hard in those last few laps and I was very, very good on the brakes into turn 14, very close on the way up to turn 16 and I was able to get a real good tow from him out of the last corner. I’m not sure whether he expected me to go on the inside there into turn one but, fortunately, he left me enough space and I was able to capitalise on that and he put up a fair fight but there was nowhere really for him to go, because I was fully up alongside him. It was a great move and a great little battle. As I said, just with everyone generally, I had really good fights with everyone. None of them made it easy and that’s the kind of racing I love, so I think that’s why it feels even better than perhaps it’s felt in the past.
Question: Lewis, would you say that the tyres saved yesterday were the key to your race win today?
Lewis Hamilton: I don’t think that was the only thing. I think all my tyres were in good condition. I think it’s always a combination of things but that definitely did help. Without that, I wouldn’t have overtaken Jenson. It would have been hard to get close enough. But, obviously, I had quite a lot of key moments through the stints in which I needed to really maximise and I think today… in some races you’re able to maximise and things just go the way you want it to go and then in some other races, some parts of it will go well and then one part you’re a bit unfortunate. I had a close coming together with Pérez, I think, at turn one, I think it was. I was coming out of the pits and he cut across and touched my wing, I think, or my tyre. I thought I had a flat spot or a flat tyre but otherwise, just cool fighting.
Question: Lewis, there is an interesting phenomenon in Shanghai in that there are seven champions here. Not one seems to have been able to repeat their victory here, but you have broken that deadlock. How do you value that? This time you see more and more fans coming to watch the race; do you want to say something to them?
Lewis Hamilton: Absolutely, and I think that’s a good point. Coming into this weekend and coming here, every year I’ve come here since 2007, I’ve come here and I’ve had the fans, who are just incredible. While the grandstands aren’t as full as we would like, perhaps, but every time I arrive at the airport, I’ve got fans standing there waiting. I think it started off with maybe one or two at the beginning and each year it gets a little bit more. Their support is just incredible and you go back to the hotel, they might be outside the restaurant, they’re back at the hotel when you come from the restaurant, they’re there before you leave in the morning and when you come back, it’s absolutely unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve had great letters that are read each night from several of the fans that give me a letter outside, and also gifts. Every day, I spend a little bit of time with them, try to give as much time to them. But that gives energy to me. They’ve not been overbearing or anything, they’ve been really supportive but that’s also the same of my fans around the world, I’m so appreciative of the support we get. It makes a big difference. I don’t know how it is for everyone but definitely for me.
In my long answer, I was trying to say that this weekend some of the fans said “can you make it two?” and I said: “I will do absolutely everything I can” but obviously I was on P3, it was going to be a very tough race, but you can never ever imagine a race like today and what happened throughout the race and even before the race, so I feel very, very blessed to be sitting here, very, very happy.
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