Question: Lewis, how was Thursday practice for you?
Lewis Hamilton: Obviously we weren’t at the top of the times, but the car felt very good and I love to race at this track. The weather was decent, at least for the majority of the running, so it’s a good feeling. I really love being at this circuit, and it feels so much better now than last year for me. In fact the car feels light years better than last year so, yeah, we’ve made some good steps forward with the set-up so I think we should be okay.
Question: What does it feel like to race a Formula One car on this track?
Lewis Hamilton: It is really difficult to describe. Even if you drive a normal road car, and if you’ve been away for one year, you seem to forget how crazy it is. When you come back and look at these streets you think ‘wow, that’s going to be tough’. And when you are out there things seem to happen so much faster than normal, twice or three times the speed of another circuit. The barriers seem to be flying by. It’s very bumpy and you are always on the edge. You think that if you brake a little too late you are in the barrier, so you are going so carefully. It’s a fantastic feeling when you have good downforce - it feels phenomenal to drive here.
Question: After your running on Thursday, would you say things look good for the race?
Lewis Hamilton: Yes, we are looking pretty good for the weekend. Hopefully the weather will stay good and for sure we will keep our heads down to make the best possible preparations. Hopefully we’ll be fighting for the top three.
Question: You’ve won at this track in Formula Three, in GP2 and in Formula One racing. Why do you think you are so good around here?
Lewis Hamilton: I guess, generally, perhaps it is more my nature to take more risks than others would. It’s difficult to describe, so let me put it this way: maybe I am a little more aggressive than others. On top of that I love street circuits.
Question: Wouldn’t it be a fantastic place for your first win of this season?
Lewis Hamilton: Absolutely. This is the best place to win and I haven’t given up hope. We know how competitive everyone else is, so I need to keep my fingers crossed. But I am not under pressure to win this weekend. It will come eventually, as my performance has been very good so far this season, so I’m building on that.
| 
|