Q & A with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton: I wouldn't say it was a blow, but for sure you feel it. You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel anything. But I have definitely recovered from it, and I feel even stronger both mentally and physically - some of that is training, preparing for this season. I am just excited and probably even more determined than I have been in the past. And perhaps that experience (of losing the title) has encouraged that.

Q. Lewis, if you look back over your career, your second season in any category has been markedly better than your first. Are you expecting something similar in your second season of F1, or do you think you hit your top level pretty quickly and it's now just steady improvement?

LH: Heikki just said I will be going backwards! No, I think I agree with that first sentence there. It should be better...

Q. Lewis, did you enjoy your present from the team? And also, yesterday, at Ferrari, somebody told us that with the new regulations it will be harder for your driving style because you use the tyres more than other people. Do you agree with that? Are you changing your driving style?

LH: I haven't changed my driving style, but for sure when you drive a car and come from traction control and turn it off, it is a slightly different technique you have to use. But in terms of driving it is pretty much the same, but I think it will be tricky for all the drivers.

I don't believe it is going to be harder for us than for any other team, and I think for us I guess it gives you, as a driver, more control. We have to do the best job we can do with it, and I think the best drivers will do the better job, so I guess you will see what happens during the season.

Q. Did you learn something from Fernando (Alonso) last year, and if so, what?

LH: I learned a lot from Fernando throughout the season, as I did with every teammate I worked with. I think you learn something outside the car with their personality, how they present themselves, and as a driver I am always striving to be more professional and to be more competitive as an all-round driver.

And each time you work with someone new you learn something. You can take a little bit, and because he has got more experience, I was able to extract some good from it. And also in the driving, he was a fantastic driver and I was able to improve with his help.

Q. A year ago you drove a GP2 car without traction control. Do you think it is an advantage for this time without traction control, compared to those drivers who have driven with traction control for five or six years already?

LH: I don't particularly think so. I think for all the drivers, they all came through F3000, Formula Renault or F3, so we all have had the experience and we have all got the ability and talent. As you can see in the testing, everyone is adapting quite quickly, and that is what we do as racing drivers - we adapt as quickly as possible. I don't believe there is an advantage but I think you will see some drivers can deal with it better than others.

Q. Was this the best birthday present you have had? And what do you think about your new teammate?

LH: Firstly, birthday presents. I haven't yet had the contract signed yet to say I will have the car to keep! So I can't really comment if it is the best birthday present yet...but I am working on it.

On Heikki, we have known each other for a while. Our friendship has grown over the years. I find it very easy to get on with him. As you can see, there is a mutual feeling between each other.

We both are very, very competitive and we both want to beat each other, but in doing that we will try and do the best job we can individually, but also to push the team forward and just enjoy the racing. At the end of the day that is what we are here to do.

Q. Last year it was an excellent season for you, but at the beginning of the season you started as the second driver. This year you start as first driver, how much pressure do you feel and how much do you think it will change your role this year?

LH: I don't believe that I am starting as the first driver. As Heikki said earlier, we expect to have the exact same opportunity and I believe that is what we are going to be given. For sure, as teammates we are going to push to beat each other and push each other forward. We both want to win the world championship at the end of the day.

Whoever finishes higher, or is more consistent, or wins more, it doesn't mean they are the lead driver. As you saw at the end of the season, even though I was leading the world championship we were given the same opportunity. It didn't matter that I was leading. It just meant I had to work just as hard as always to stay ahead.

Q. And the pressure?

LH: No problem, no problem.

Q. So much happened last year, with you coming to F1 and nearly winning the title. How much has it changed you? And how different does it feel to start the second season after that?

LH: As you know, it is a steep learning curve. If anything I think I just grew up. I grew up as a person and as a driver, and that is obviously the aim. With all the experiences you have, whether they are good or bad, you learn and you move forward. This year, I feel more at home, I feel more confident, I feel more relaxed and even more sure of what I want.

Q. Did you ever have the feeling that things were happening too fast, because it was so incredible what happened?

LH: I think I live my life in the fast lane. We are racing drivers, and for sure this year and 2007, everything came so quickly. But I think, for people, perhaps it seemed it was too quick, but if you look at my career, I have been racing 15 years. There was a lot of hard work from me and my family over a long period of time. So it wasn't too big a shock to the system.

Q. You talked about simply enjoying the racing this season. Does that stem from the fact that last season there was just so much politics in the background, and you didn't enjoy it as much as you should have done?

LH: I enjoyed the season. I thoroughly enjoyed last year, just the whole year, and all the way up until Christmas and the new year. It was the best year of my life. I know it can be better, and lots of things can matter for sure - but perhaps there will be less problems and politics, and hopefully we will enjoy it a bit better.

Q. Last year's car was based a lot on the driving style of Fernando Alonso. What did you ask McLaren to change on the MP4-23?

LH: First of all, the car wasn't based around Fernando. It was an evolution of the MP4-21, and it goes way back. Every year they develop the car, it is always an evolution of the previous season. My car last year was how I wanted it. He had his car set up how he wanted it and mine set up the way I wanted.

I haven't called the boss and said I want my car like this. The team are developing the car and moving forward to try and make the best car possible for this year, and it is down to me Heikki, Pedro and Gary to put in the mileage and to give the correct feedback and move the team forward.

Q. Lewis in terms of the championship, who are your biggest opponents?

LH: Same as last year, but perhaps now I have Heikki alongside me who has a great opportunity to really show his true colours in the team. I know that he is going to be pushing all the way and we will be pushing each other.

We haven't even got to the first test, or tested against each other yet, and when you get to the first race you perhaps still don't know how much you are going to be pushing each other. I have no doubt in my mind that Heikki will be one of the quickest guys there, and I think with the other guys there, whether Fernando will be up at the front we don't know.

But I expect the guys I was competing against last year, (Kimi) Raikkonen and (Felipe) Massa, and I do hope there are other teams up there with us, rather than just two F1 teams fighting for the world championship.