Interview With British GP Winner - Lewis Hamilton
Jul 07, 2008
McLaren
Question: Lewis, you started the season with a win, you won the Monaco Grand Prix, but now the moment’s yours. Let’s savour the moment, describe your emotions on that slow-down lap, having won the British Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton: It is by far the best victory I’ve ever had. It was one of the toughest races I’ve ever done and as I was driving I was thinking if I win this, this will definitely go down as the best race I’ve ever won, not only because of its history but it’s on my home ground, but also I think I drove one of the best races I ever did. But I was coming to the last lap and I could see the crowd beginning to stand up and I was just praying, praying and praying: keep it on the track, just finish and you could not imagine that we’re going inside. I wanted to push, I just wanted to get it round and we did. The team did a fantastic job really. I want to dedicate this one to my family because, as you could see, I’ve had some troubles over the last couple of weeks and it’s been really tough, but as always family is always there for you, always give me support. They’re all here. I remember before the race my brother said ‘don’t worry about it, you will be fine in the wet,’ so a big thank you to them.
Question: A stunning win by over a minute, great moments, but lots of difficult moments too. The pressure from Kimi Räikkönen early in the race, the decision about whether to switch to maybe extreme Bridgestone wets when the rain really started to fall, and generally the conditions out there on the track, lapping slower cars and actually being passed by Rubens Barrichello when it got really wet.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, it was so extreme out there. It was probably as extreme in some cases as Fuji last year. Obviously there wasn’t as much rain but such tricky conditions: the first sector maybe dry or not so bad, and then in the second sector you could see big drops of rain on your visor. I was having big problems with my visor, I couldn’t see a thing, especially the right side was fogging up, so always between turn one and two I would have to put the visor up and clean it on the inside and then put it down, and then I would have to do it again before Stowe. I had to do that nearly every lap, just to be able to see, especially when it started to rain. When Rubens was catching me, I didn’t even know. I couldn’t see in my wing mirrors, I could barely see out of my visor. All I could hear was the tone of two engines: my engine and someone else’s, and for a second, I thought ‘oh God, just let him past.’ So I stayed on inside and braked early and he came flying down the outside. But it was so slippery, it was so tough, it was a real mental challenge.
Question: Your great hero Ayrton (Senna) was a master in the wet. Did you learn anything from him when you studied all those video tapes or is it just your natural ability to drive in the wet?
Lewis Hamilton: There was not really a lot that I could take from Ayrton. All I knew was that he was spectacular in the wet, and growing up, it was something that I wanted to master as well. I think there was a time he said, or just from the way he drove. He just showed that if you can drive in the wet you can do anything and really the top drivers rise to the top and so along my career, I just worked very, very hard to be sitting here where I am. But it does comer very naturally, I’m very sensitive. I feel very comfortable in the wet, knowing where to push, where not to push, and I think that’s the result.
Question: You seem to be able to keep your head in those conditions when at least half of the grid are losing theirs. What’s your secret?
Lewis Hamilton: No particular secret, it’s just the way I am. I managed to get a lot of energy and I was able to control that in the right way and use it when needed. But today was not a physical challenge, it was just mental, just mental. I don’t know how I’ve done it but I did it and that’s the most important thing.
Question: Your thoughts on the Grand Prix moving from Silverstone to Donington?
Lewis Hamilton: This is a phenomenal circuit. For sure, I will be sad not to have a race here in a year because just as drivers in general, you’re very comfortable when you got to circuits. You have some that you prefer more than others and this is one of my favourite circuits. But times change and Donington is a fantastic circuit. I’ve had some great memories there in the lower categories, so, if they can make it safe enough for us, I’m sure it will be a great event. But I hope one day we can still come back here and re-live the Silverstone experience.
