Interview With Lewis Hamilton
Jul 01, 2008
McLaren
Question: Lewis, the start to your Formula One career was very different to the norm, with your debut season completed in near championship-winning style. What makes this year so different to last year?
Lewis Hamilton: 2007 was a fantastic year for me, and an amazing experience. This year I am only into my second season of Formula On, but I am now the longest serving race driver at McLaren, with a year’s more experience here than Heikki (Kovalainen). With this comes the additional pressure from within myself to do my best for the team, even though I am still on a huge learning curve. In many ways, it is like having a rookie season all over again!
Question: Red Bull’s David Coulthard has said that in your first year it’s easy to be cool because you don’t think, you just drive, while in the second you think more and the easiness of it all gets lost. Have you experienced something like this?
Lewis Hamilton: For me, the easiest place to be during a Grand Prix weekend is in the car - nothing else matters when you’re out on the track. But it’s not easy to separate the job into just thinking and driving. To win in Formula One requires a whole range of skills and abilities - and you’re always thinking about how to maximise everything, even when you’re away from the racetrack. But I should perhaps emphasise that driving is the greatest part of my job - it’s the reason we all become Grand Prix drivers - and I’m sure it’s the one element that keeps us all coming back for more.
Question: So what result are you realistically hoping for?
Lewis Hamilton:: Well, winning your home race is something every driver wants to achieve. When I started the season my idea was to win the first race, to win Monte Carlo, and to win my home Grand Prix, so I’m ready for the challenge at Silverstone.
