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First Interview:
The champion speaks - the full transcript
Autosport.com was there when Lewis Hamilton gave his first interview as world champion in the Hilton Hotel in Sao Paulo on Monday morning. This is the full transcript By Jonathan Noble
Q: How does it feel?
Lewis Hamilton: "It feels great. I don't think it has hit home yet. I woke up this morning – I felt relaxed, I felt satisfied and I felt full of energy. I felt really fresh and then it keeps popping into my mind: 'wow, you are world champion'.
"Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be here. I had dreamed of having it, which is why it probably does feel like having a dream. That's why it keeps popping back into my head, to show it is reality. So it is a great feeling."
Q: Were you aware in those closing laps that first of all you weren't in a position to win the world championship, and then suddenly you were?
Hamilton: "Yes, I was fully aware of the whole situation. I think through the whole race I didn't know Felipe was in the lead – I just assumed he was. I didn't come over the radio and ask about it because I was focusing on my job. I knew I had at least to finish fifth, so I was focusing on that.
"I was in fourth, I was comfortable there. I was just trying to bring the car home, trying to look after the gear shifts, trying to look after the tyres and manage everything. Towards the end it got quite tough because I went out with a huge fuel load. As you know, we use our tyres more than most in certain places and I was on a huge fuel load trying to look after these tyres.
"Towards the end of the run, I was keeping (Sebastian) Vettel at bay but then the weather got bad. We changed tyres but I had less downforce than other people – we were fastest on the straights but for the wet it was not perfect. But we worked very hard to keep him behind - and the last two laps were the toughest two laps of my entire career.
"After I lost the position to him there was nothing I could do. I was pushing and pushing to get close to him, so I was taking more risks. Not unnecessary risks, but I knew I was in P6 and I knew I was one point away from world championship status."
Q: What were your feelings two laps from the end when Vettel passed you?
Hamilton: "I just thought: 'I've got to get him back'. You don't have time to lose focus or think it's gone, it's gone. You just have to think, 'how do I get him back? Where am I losing time?' You have to think fast as you've only got two laps.
"I was trying to analyse everywhere where I was losing time. My car wasn't feeling great at the time, so we were just trying to nurse the car as well as get every per cent out of it. I was close, but there were a couple of corners left and there wasn't enough.
"I had no rear tyres left so I could not get close to him. Then I think in Turn 10 they told me '(Timo) Glock is just ahead. He's on slick tyres and struggling. If you can overtake him then that will be great!" I didn't know if I was close enough and there were only two corners left.
"I came through Turn 11 and saw Vettel pass him. He was just about to turn into the corner and I shot up the inside. So at that point I relaxed and thought I should have it. I was expecting the team to go: 'woohoo, you've won the championship!' But they didn't, so I was panicking for a second."
Q: You've spent your entire career waiting for that moment. How did it feel?
Hamilton: "Once I crossed the line and found out, I was more emotional than ever. Afterwards, the media, seeing my family, seeing my team, celebrating with them. It was kind of weird because we did what we needed to do. We went there to finish in a certain position and for a racing driver to accept that you're not going to be winning that weekend was tough. But we wanted the bigger prize. It was exhausting, there was so much going on.
"It took a lot out of me last year but this year took even more out of me. There was so much going on, with people pulling me left and right. I wanted to just embrace the moment and I still am. It feels great; I woke up this morning feeling fresh.
"And I don't have to have that number 22 on my car any more. I can have number one on my car and that is the coolest thing ever."
Q: People in the UK are talking about you become the richest sportsman in the world. How does that register for you?
Hamilton: "I am comfortable in life. For sure, it is an amazing feeling to know that you have made some money. Considering I didn't have even one hundred pounds to go and buy myself some trainers when I was younger. To think that we can do that now is great, but money doesn't appeal to me.
"Any young kid given the opportunity to go to F1 would have done it for free. It just so happens I get paid to do my hobby and the thing I love. And, it is nice to be able to take care of the family. That is all that matters."
Q: There has been a huge reaction back home in England. You are billed as bigger than David Beckham, Britain's biggest sporting star. What do you think of that?
Hamilton: "I haven't seen it yet. I haven't been home yet, I just see you guys who I see every weekend! And you guys look a bit more tired than me – so I hope you partied last night."
Q: And you?
Hamilton: "Yeah, I'm in a great state. I remember last year I wasn't looking so good."
Q: You have talked before about how difficult fame is to cope with. Are you ready for the next level?
Hamilton: "I think I am ready. Every year you have new experiences which just build your character and build you to do these things. The first year it took a lot of adjusting. I think I have handled it okay this year and towards the end I have just got stronger and stronger – and that is how I will keep moving forward. I will continue to improve.
"I don't know what to expect when I get back. I know I have an incredible amount of support back home. But I don't anticipate things changing too much. I will go back, take a bit of a vacation, spend time with my family – but I am going to focus on next year. We want to do it better, do everything better next year if I can. That is what we have to work towards."
Q: People are now saying that you have a chance of adding more championships and could win as many as Michael Schumacher. What do you say about that?
Hamilton: "First and foremost, I don't ever plan on trying to reach any of his records. It doesn't really bother me. It's not something that appeals to me. Records don't mean a huge amount to me. I love racing. I love getting in my car and I love winning championships. It has always been something I love doing and that feeling you have after all the work, the people around you, and for you to extract more out of yourself. That is the most fulfilling achievement, so the records are not important.
"I want to get this (McLaren F1) car, so I will definitely work as hard as I can to get to number three at some stage. Just to get to one has been unbelievably hard, so hopefully the next one will be easier – but the rules change every year. It's going to be just as competitive every year and there are great drivers like Felipe Massa and Heikki Kovalainen, my teammate, they're always going to be pushing me and so to beat them every year is going to be tough.
"Each year I'm getting stronger. People say the second year is harder, but I don't believe that. I think you just get stronger, you learn from mistakes and hopefully I will continue to grow as a driver. If that means winning more championships, then so be it."
Q: What was the deal you had with Ron for the car?
Hamilton: "It was if I won three world championships. It was a car I always wanted, I got a car book for Christmas years and years ago, probably when I was 10. It had the orange McLaren F1 LM on the front of it, and that was my dream car then. Then I got signed up by McLaren and I saw it at the factory. Every time I have walked past it I have gazed at it.
"Even today it's the only car I stop by – apart from Ayrton Senna's 1989 car. I always open it up and just smell it – it is carbon, it's fresh, it's new and it's number one out of five. It's probably the most expensive car in the world, and that is the one I want. I told Ron, I told him that is the car I wanted. I asked what I had to do and he did the deal with me."
Q: What lessons do you take out of this season that you can apply to next year in your bid for a second title?
Hamilton: "I think this year was a lot different to last year. Last year we had a lot better consistency, perhaps less mistakes. But at the end of the year I was at a point in my life where I was thrown into the limelight. I was leading the world championship and the pressure that I could be world champion in this race was tough to take on my young shoulders.
"I think losing that world championship probably made me stronger and that is why we pulled through at the end of this one. But there were races this year that we won, we won some of the best races – Silverstone, Monaco, Germany – but there were races we lost, some through a mistake from myself. But we make mistakes as a team; we win and lose as a team. I think going into next year we are going to analyse everything that happened this year and just try and correct them.
"They are only subtle changes that can have a huge impact on the results. So we are going hard on the car, I want to be fitter when I get to the first race – which will be hard as I was fit this year. But just focusing on trying not to make those mistake, the way we approached this weekend, and try to be more consistent."
"Do you think as a sportsman you have that character where you make it exciting? Like Manchester United in football, everything is a little seat-of-your-pants?
Hamilton: "I'm not saying I am going to change my driving, that is what got me here. I learned for this race to take a step back to go for the points, so I can do that when I need to. Next year I will be stronger. Some races I won't be able to win, but I can accept that it is okay. We will take the positives from that race, move on and try and win the next one."
Q: What do you say to the comedians who threw you the black cat? Do you thank them?
Hamilton: "Not really. I have got a black cat at home and she brings me luck. I don't particularly have too much to say to them. The results speak for themselves."
Q: What does it feel like to be F1's first black world champion?
Hamilton: "I have not really thought about it. In my whole life I have never turned up at a race weekend and thought, 'oh I am the only black dude here'. It has never been like that. It is just we are a family who loves to race. We love the experience. My dad has always enjoyed participating or preparing the car, preparing mentally. It is the same for all of us. We have won the world championship and it is just amazing to do it.
"But the great thing is hopefully it can open the doors to other cultures. And hopefully youngsters can see that dreams can come true. I am living mine; I was living mine last year. I am still living my dream and I will continue to do so."
Q: We saw pictures of Nicole in the garage. Can you describe how important she is for you?
Hamilton: "Well, I think the important thing for me is that I have got my family. They are the most important thing for me – with all their support. They fly out to every race and they help me keep my feet on the ground. They help keep the balance in my whole life. There are so many things trying to lift me up, or distract me. And they are the ones that do their utmost to keep my feet on the ground and stay focused.
"She is just another part of that – that bubble and shield around me. She is nothing but positive energy. She is an amazing person. She flew all the way out here, as did my family, just to support me. And she brought me all that positive energy. It meant a huge amount to have her there, as it did to have my family there."
Q: Your father is here. He has been every step of this journey with you. Can you say what it means to you?
Hamilton: "I don't know what to say. He is a dad. He has been an inspiration. He has been positive in many, many ways. But he has been a dad. He has been a pain in the arse for some parts of my life as well. But he has been fantastic. It is easier for him. He stands there and I have to take all this on my shoulders!
"No, he has done all the work to get me to where I am. He has made all the sacrifices from the beginning. Even to now he is doing it. It is an incredible amount of determination, not just to me but also to the family. He is a huge family man and I believe I have followed in his footsteps. And the man I am today is a reflection on him. The world championship we have achieved is a reflection on him and the family. He means the world to me."
Q: Now you have won the title, are you going to treat yourself to anything?
Hamilton: "Nope. I am happy. It would be nice to have a house at some stage, but I don't know where or what. I have a nice apartment, with a nice drum kit, nice guitars and I don't need anything more particularly. There are some things in the future that I might want to get, but there will be a time and a place. The reward is winning the world championship. What more do you need?"
Q: Do you see any similarities between you and Valentino Rossi?
Hamilton: "I think all sportsman have a huge amount in common. I haven't met Valentino but I have heard he is an incredible guy. He wins in MotoGP all the time and he is a phenomenal competitor. Even for F1 drivers, we can look at those and try and learn little bits from them – their style, or the way they handle themselves.
"But I am sure if I met him we would get on very well. I would love to meet him – I am a huge fan of his. He is incredible and it would be awesome if he could take me out on his bike one day."
Q: Are you hungover?
Hamilton: "Nope, I didn't drink last night. I had a couple of glasses of champagne, but I mostly drank water. I remember towards the end of the night I just sat there on the side and a song came on: We are the champions by Queen. I saw all my team members, my mechanics, my engineers, the catering people, the bosses, my dad, everyone – they were all so happy.
"I could just sit there and take it all in. It was just a feeling that you can't put into words – to see how happy you have made everyone, and how much work they have put in and how satisfied they are. It was really nice seeing that and after that I was up and ready for bed. I learned my lesson from last year!"
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INTERVIEW - Ron Dennis
A team effort - the full transcript
Autosport.com was there when McLaren boss Ron Dennis spoke to the media in the Hilton Hotel in Sao Paulo on Monday morning. This is the full transcript
By Jonathan Noble
autosport.com GP editor
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Q: How does it feel?
Ron Dennis: "How does it feel? A bit croaky! I love Monday mornings. Well, not all Monday mornings, but you're still in racing mode after a grand prix - worrying about scrutineering, worrying about someone doing the wrong thing or saying the wrong thing. Once you get some sleep, then you wake up and the realisation comes to you and it's a really nice feeling.
"I think this is not just special because of Lewis winning the world championship. It's special because so many people are happy about it. My phone is just blocked with text (messages) and I can't even think about how long it's going to take me to respond. There are more than one hundred. It is special. Just special."
Q: How does it compare to the other championships?
Dennis: "It is different because, in truth, there is nothing in life that gets easier. It's not just athletics, it's business - it's everything in life. It gets more challenging and you have to raise your game all the time. This particular world championship is certainly going to be easier than the next because it just gets more difficult.
"But of course it has the added flavour of having been part of Lewis's success. It's so easy to come up with the glib expressions like 'he has returned my faith in him' and all the other things he can say. But most of them are inappropriate because he is just a thoroughly nice chap and it is such a pleasure to work with him. He always returns all the effort you put into him, or the work people put into him, by getting the job done and by his approach out of the car. It is great to see him with such a big smile on his face.
"There has been such a lot of distraction this weekend - a lot of distraction. And most of it we were able to keep away from him, but at the end of the day I think the most difficult thing in the world is to drive a grand prix knowing you have to avoid every single mistake. The backmarkers in the latter part of the race were just so difficult, (Giancarlo) Fisichella was a huge problem at the beginning of the race. We just didn't want to take any chances.
"He (Lewis) radioed over and said: 'Tell me when it's dry enough at the end of the pit straight for me to overtake Fisichella.' So we left him behind for several laps and at the time you don't realise the repercussion on the end of the race because we were so in command of our pace. We were just working on the basis of moving between fourth and fifth, and then (Timo) Glock was just such an unpredictable thing.
"Two spates of rain. We saw that rain coming in and we didn't even think about having to cover that sort of eventuality because when all the quick cars switched into rain tyres, and Glock stayed out on dries, I just could not believe how quick he was in the first part of the last three or four laps. Then going into the last lap, when he did his first sector time, I thought that was it! He was so quick.
"Then he dropped five seconds and we knew we had it then. We knew that all Lewis had to do was keep the pace up. He could probably have overtaken Glock a bit sooner but he had to do it safely. And the outcome was pretty story book really - a fantastic outcome to a difficult season."
Q: Is Lewis now any closer to winning the McLaren F1 road car?
Dennis: "Absolutely. Not only that - as you possibly know there was a standard F1 sold on Thursday evening in England for £2.3 million, and this particular car is the rarest of the F1s - it is an LM. I would say it's worth at least double that - so at least I don't have to give it away for a couple of years. But it will be a small price to pay for three world championships."
Q: Was the Brazilian Grand Prix a good day for F1 - a popular winner and an uncontroversial end to the season?
Dennis: "Yes. You are talking to someone who has made his whole life F1. So of course it is great for F1. It's a privilege to be part of F1. It has given me everything I have had in my life, not always positive. It takes a lot out of you. Things happen in your life that are a legacy of the level of time and commitment you have to spend on F1, but in the end, Brazil was just for you guys, a dream come true.
"This is a story that is going to run for weeks, isn't it? We have all the awards ceremonies and plans all the way through to January to optimise the benefits of having a world champion in the car and we are already looking forward to next year."
Q: Does this championship provide some vindication over what happened last year?
Dennis: "I don't spend any time in last year. It's a waste of energy. This year has been challenging enough and I don't need to spend any thought in the past. We are already looking forward."
Q: A lot of the greats of this sport have said they believe Lewis can now go on to become a multiple champion - even rivalling Michael Schumacher's records. How do you see it?
Dennis: "I don't have them (the statistics) immediately to hand, but I know for example that he has accumulated more points in the last two years than any other driver. I think Massa has equalled his nine race wins in the last two years, but he has been on the podium more than any other driver. He has had more pole positions than any other driver. He is the youngest ever world champion. I think the numbers speak for themselves - and the chances of that momentum being lost are very, very slim.
"Of course, no racing driver goes very far if he is sat on the grid in his underpants. So they have to have the car - and it is our intention to try and give it to him. But at the moment I can see no reason why the momentum of his career is going to falter. As is apparent this year, he has become even more mature - in and out of the car. And the experience in Brazil will be another stone in his career. He is going to be very, very successful in his life, not only as a racing driver but also as a human being because he is a thoroughly nice guy. What you see is what you get."
Q: What are the plans now for Lewis? Will the demands on his time be greater now that he is champion?
Dennis: "I think that, traditionally, our drivers have three or four weeks running into and after Christmas where they don't have to do anything. Obviously there might be some ceremonies that he might have to go to, but we have always tried to cover these sorts of things in the detail in our contracts. Driver ability is going to be no greater or no less than it would have been either as a world champion or not. These guys have to have a life. We realise that and we put a lot of effort into giving them one."
Q: What about your life? You have talked about this being a special championship and looking to the future. You have said in the past that you don't want to be active on the pitwall for ever, is it a good time to go out on a high? Or is there a fresh impetus for next year?
Dennis: "Nothing that will unfold over the next few months will be as a result of Brazil. Clearly I have made it very apparent that I have still got several ambitions I want to fulfil, there are some things I would like to do. You will most definitely see me at grands prix and it is something I like too much to take out of my life. I think over the next few months I will make it abundantly clear what I am doing and why I am doing it, but it would have taken place no matter what. Don't read too much into it.
"The simple fact is I have got things I want to do. Our production car programme is very close to being publicly launched. Obviously this economic situation makes life very difficult when you are trying to raise the capital it requires, but the programme is extremely advanced and this is something I have got as much passion for as the F1 car.
"I have believed passionately in the need for a grand prix team to diversify and it is not by accident that McLaren is a group of companies, we do intend to try and match the success of Ferrari and to do that we cannot just be a grand prix team. So my role will broaden in some aspects and reduce in others."
Q: What do you mean match the success of Ferrari?
Dennis: "We want as broad a possible a base for the company, not just the race but also making sportscars. This is a highly competitive environment and there is over capacity in this world coming from the automotive companies. They are all having a tough time and putting aside that there is the simple fact there is less money in people's pockets, so the economics of the project such as this have to be carefully considered and you have to get the timing right.
"The market is not going to be always as it is now. We have been given documents generated for the boards of banks, so we have a clear understanding of when this recession will turn around and we have to plan accordingly.
"Alongside that, we are absolutely joined at the hip with other grand prix teams in reducing costs and we intend to take costs out of our business because we have to. These are all the challenges that I face with my colleagues, it is not just grand prix racing - we want to be bigger and better than just a grand prix team. It's critical to survival. If you go back in history, you can see clear examples of teams who have stayed unique to F1 who have just failed. You cannot sustain an F1 team indefinitely, you need to diversify."
Q: So it sounds like you will not have time to continue on the pitwall?
Dennis: "You will see me on the pitwall. I will be at races, don't worry."
Q: Even in Lewis's moments of triumph, back in England on radio phone ins there is evidence that he is quite a divisive figure. Why do you think that is, and it must sadden you?
Dennis: "Well, I think you are mixing up different types of reaction. I think here in Brazil they are very passionate about their motor racing, but if you are at a grand prix venue you are going to be surrounded by the pure enthusiast. And clearly if Massa had the potential to win the world championship, then you are going to have a significant percentage of those enthusiasts anti the competition. And the fact that is Lewis is immaterial. The reaction here would have been the same if it was any other driver that was competing against Massa.
"So I think the reaction here is one here. The reaction in Spain is another. But when it comes to England, I think the reaction tends to be in the culture that we have in England. There is a sort of love-hate relationship with successful people. And there is nothing more certain than Lewis and perhaps the team as a whole being put on a pedestal. That is how it works in England - and then somewhere along the line they will tear us all down again. That happens. We will handle that as we handle all that - just as would have handled the extreme criticism if we had failed to win the world championship. We knew that would have happened and we were prepared for it."
Q: You have talked about Lewis's self-belief, which sometimes is interpreted as arrogance. Is he like that behind the scenes? Does he have self-doubt?
Dennis: "No self doubt. To be good at anything you have to have self belief. If you don't believe in yourself then you have got no chance of success. It doesn't just relate to a sportsman or athlete - it is the same in life.
"It is very easy when you have become successful to step back a little bit and humble yourself - but that is after your achievement, not before. When you are trying to be the best at something, you have to have total belief in yourself and it's only after you have achieved that that you step back a little bit and be a little quieter. But there is not even that in him.
"Lewis is just Lewis. He is a thoroughly nice guy and you don't win motor races by sitting behind cars. You need to overtake. I remember with Ayrton, you just knew that once a driver saw a yellow helmet in their wing mirrors, they knew he was coming past. Then you just had to decide how difficult you were going to make it.
"In this era of F1, they all make it difficult for each other all the time because it's so fiercely competitive. In the end, when a driver gets overtaken he is never cheerful about it, so why would you expect drivers to be complimentary if they are being beaten. The key problem they have is coming to terms with getting beaten."
Q: You mentioned the yellow helmet. Can you compare Lewis and Ayrton?
Dennis: "Actually, there was a memorable year here when he won the race with just two gears - it was a Herculean achievement. They are similar in many ways, but very dissimilar in most. The thing about a Brazilian driver, and Brazilians as a whole, is that they love their country. They will go to any lengths to get back to Brazil. And Ayrton was no exception - he would travel 24 hours to have just four hours in Brazil, that is how important it was for him.
"When you worked with Ayrton, it was always on the basis of 'when is he going to disappear next? How is he going to get back to Brazil? And how long before he came back?' It was just endless long phone calls because he would think and think and think. He would make a big list and then on the phone you would be there for hours going meticulously through the process.
"With Lewis it's very different. He is in the company normally once a week. All the drivers have intense periods in the simulator. It is one of the most useful pieces of equipment that we have. Then because he is there, there is the dialogue. I probably won't speak to Lewis on the telephone more than twice a month, whereas it would be twice a day with Ayrton. So it is a very different relationship."
Q: What are the similarities?
Dennis: "There are similarities because they both have the same total commitment to winning. Ayrton - he was so obsessed with F1 that it was to the detriment of any private life. He spent virtually all his free time with his family. He rarely had girlfriends and he just lived to win. There were very, very few other interests. He was really into model aircraft - that is how he used to spend a lot of his time. And that was pretty much his only distraction.
"Lewis has got a whole diverse range of interests. He loves music, he spends a lot of time with his brother, and he races radio controlled cars as well. He loves driving. He loves relaxing. I don't know how much he likes working out, but a hell of a lot goes on.
"That is something very different between Ayrton and Lewis - our drivers all have personal trainers, and they don't just pop out of the cupboard every now and again. They are with them 24/7 and they are very, very intense programmes. All of our drivers are Olympic standard as regards anything you can measure. That is the level of physical commitment they have to have now."
Q: Ayrton was a controversial figure for most of his career. Do you think Lewis by his nature as a winner is similarly controversial?
Dennis: "I don't want to contribute anything to Lewis being perceived as anything other than what he is. Talk to him, ask him any question and you can see that he is just a thoroughly nice guy and he doesn't have any disrespect for the people he competes against. But he just likes to keep himself to himself.
"He doesn't want to participate in some of the social things the other drivers do. They play cards together, but he has got two or three guys that he really gets on well with - Nico (Rosberg) and (Adrian) Sutil. We often have dinner with some of the other drivers, but he likes to keep himself to himself. That isn't from people disliking or liking him, but that is how he approaches his life."
Q: It has been a while since you have won a championship. It must be a good feeling for you?
Dennis: "It is just sinking in. I am under no illusions. We are a grand prix team, and you only win as a team. You lose as a team, and you win as a team. So no individuals, not Lewis, not myself, can feel that they are anything other than part of the process. You should feel part of the process, especially if you are English. The reality is we should celebrate the fact that England won a world championship.
"I am sure all of you got up this morning feeling better than on Sunday. You have to look for an angle, you have to try and create some interesting perspectives - that is your job. But when you wake up as a guy, especially as a Briton, if you don't feel better this morning than you felt last year, then you should stop doing what you are doing."
Q: The difference between us and you is that you have spent millions in trying to win.
Dennis: "Just touching on your comment about money, I have a firm belief that money is completely unimportant - unless you haven't got any. The message behind that, is that it should not be the value you drive your life by. It is immaterial - if you are successful you will make money, if you are unsuccessful you will lose money. The only difference between a successful company and an unsuccessful one - a successful one has the ability to spend less money than it has income. There is no rocket science to it.
"That is why I get so offended when we are told how to run our business. We have been very successful. There was a press cutting about our financial performance last year because our accounts have just gone out. Of course we registered a significant loss, but add back $100 million and you can look at the profit. We are a very healthy company, virtually debt free, and all we have is paid for. That allowed us to weather that storm and we will go on and weather any future storms. We will be successful because we are populated in our organisation by competitive people who want to succeed."
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Sir. FW
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FIA FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, 2.4 V8-ს წუილი და დამწვარი რეზინის სუნი - თემა N14
