Q & A with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton: It has been a bit up and down but this is nothing you don't normally see in a season, it is to be expected. Everyone is pushing very hard, and Ferrari and BMW are quick like us. It looks like it is going to be a good championship. There is still a very long way to go and so my spirits are high and I am looking forward to the next few races.

Q. Do you feel pressure a bit?

LH: Not really. I put a lot of pressure on myself in wanting to do well for the team, there are obviously pressures there. It is the same as it was last year, although I guess it is slightly different. Last year no one really expected anything from me and I guess this year people do, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I am just focusing on my job and trying to do a good job.

Q. Should we judge you on last year?

LH: I don't know really. Yeah for sure, I judge myself on my own standards of last year so I don't see why anyone else can't.

Q. Have you changed your focus for this race after Bahrain?

LH: No, I approach it in the same way and obviously I won't be making the same mistake again. This weekend being here, feeling fresh after a good break from racing, and making sure we come here fresh has been important. I feel good.

Q. How do you judge the improvements on the car?

LH: We have made a good step forward. I think it was difficult to see exactly how big a step forward it was compared to everyone else, because people were running slick tyres at the test, and we were so much quicker than we were the last time we were here before the first race. It was one of the most constructive tests we've done so it was good.

Q. What do you think about the anti-racism campaign?

LH: I think it is great the FIA are supporting it, they have all my support and great other drivers are supporting it.

Q. Do you expect any problems this weekend?

LH: No.

Q. How much have you thought about Bahrain?

LH: Probably for the beginning of the first week, I was thinking about it and for sure it was a disappointment, mainly feeling sorry for the team and we had the car to do a better job and I didn't do it. But the team were very, very supportive and so were my family and I just took it on the chin and kept it high, and said that at the next race we will do a better job.

Q. How do you see the fight between Ferrari, McLaren and BMW?

LH: It is interesting. For sure going into the season we thought it was going to be a Ferrari v McLaren fight, similar to last year, but BMW have made a good step forward but the whole paddock have made a good step forwards. We see in qualifying we are closer than last year in terms of the gap between all the cars, so it must be more spectacular to watch. For us as well, having another challenger and trying to beat another team is good fun.

Q. After winning in Australia, were your problems in Bahrain and Malaysia related to the set-up?

LH: I would say in Malaysia for sure set-up wise, in Bahrain I think Ferrari were just extremely quick there and they got off to a better start than us, perhaps the test was maybe a bit of an advantage for then, but they had a great package there and we didn't make the best of it.

Q. Is the window to get the set-up right narrower than last year?

LH: No, it is always very narrow. Friday practice and P3 you try and cram so much in that you always have to make the right decisions and make sure you immediately go down the right road, if you go down the wrong route you don't have time to go a couple of steps backwards and go in the other direction, you just have to stick with what you have got. It is important you get it right.

Q. Will this weekend give a good indicator for the rest of the season?

LH: People say that, but I don't particularly agree. Last year Ferrari were very, very fast here and so were we, but it is different at every track. Obviously we do a lot of testing here and it is a great circuit to do that, the weather is always good and wind quite low, so good for testing and finding pace of the car but all the tracks are different. Coming back into Europe, I am very, very excited and be happy to be closer to home and to start it out in Barcelona, this is one of the most historical circuits on the F1 calendar and it is one of the best as well.

Q. What do you think will happen this weekend?

LH: My guess is as good as yours. I think that the top three teams will be quick and it will be on who is on the best fuel strategy, who knows if Ferrari have the quickest car or we have the quickest car, in the test everyone was doing something different, I didn't test the slicks I stayed on the grooves, BMW and Ferrari were testing the slicks a lot so I don't know how they will go. But I feel confident that we have got a good package and I feel up for the fight.

Q. What conclusions did you extract from Bahrain?

LH: I didn't really make any conclusion. Straight after the race I knew what had gone wrong and I knew how to correct it, so the next few days were just dealing with the fact I had a poor performance, so I got back to training and making sure I came here fresh. It is always the key, turning it around and coming back stronger.

Q. Is the situation different this year because of your reputation? Do you feel more pressure because you are not a rookie?

LH: I guess it is slightly different pressure compared to last year but in a positive way. I don't think it distracts me or makes it harder for me to do my job, I want to win more than ever, that is through passion and determination.

Q. Do you feel you must finish on the podium here?

LH: I have got to finish on the podium at every race, that is the way it goes. But it is no more important this weekend than any other race but it would be good to get a good start for the race that are coming up.

Q. Would you rather have had a more experienced driver alongside you this season?

LH: No, I am learning quite a lot from Heikki, as he is doing with me. Whatever driver you work with they always bring something new in. Heikki has got just as much experience as I have in F1, perhaps a bit more with testing, but he comes with new ideas and a fresh mind and a slightly different styles, every driver has something different so there is always something you can learn.