A rickshaw ride away from the last Metro station on the Rithala line, behind two rounds of cursory security checks and right across the ‘lagoon’ at Rohini’s adventure park on this steamy Saturday afternoon, Delhi got its first brush with Formula One excitement.
Lewis Hamilton’s visit, even with a cricket match thrown in, could’ve done with a few more Delhiites, but with the Briton at his charming best, it was witticisms that kept the afternoon snappy. Indian Express
Like the typical Indophile, Lewis Hamilton couldn’t stop talking about the heat, the people and the traffic. He called the weather “awesome” and good humouredly even referred to the “abundantly talented, potential racing drivers” on the Capital’s roads.
But Hamilton expressed regret at not being able to see the Taj Mahal. “I really wanted to go down to Agra to see the Taj Mahal,” he said. “I really want to see the Taj and I will go there one day. It’s like you want to visit the Pyramids, see Mount Everest, I want to see the Taj Mahal.” Times of India
He looked quite at ease with his fans during a promotional event during the day, and he played Mr Cool when he was with his friends and acquaintances in the evening. His friends joined him for some spicy Indian food at Bukhara, ITC Maurya at night.
This was Hamilton’s second visit to India but first to Delhi. And he came across as a really down-to-earth person. In a chat he confessed that he loves India. “I love India. The people are nice, warm and loving. The country is beautiful,” he said.
Lewis also confessed that a lot of his fellow racers don’t know that they have a huge fan following in Asia. How about Grand Prix in India? “We will lose about four kilos in this temperature,” he said, adding, “I hope it’s held in winters.” And when asked for a comment on Michael Schumacher’s re-entry, Hamilton said, “To be on the same race track as the legend himself is an honour for me.” Times of India
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