How Hamilton won what he'd waited years for

It's touching that Lewis Hamilton still takes unfakeably genuine pleasure at receiving reader awards from F1 Racing. As we hand over frames celebrating his 'Driver of the Year' and 'Qualifier of the Year' accolades, that brilliant 'Aw, shucks' beam cracks irrepressibly across his face.

For a man who has achieved so much, so young, and for whom material rewards are now little more than a means of keeping tabs on his market worth, offering a gift garnered solely on merit - and, moreover, one whose recipient is adjudicated upon by our readers, his fans - remains a means of connecting with the essence of Lewis, untouched by celebrity or wealth.

"It's so great to have this," says the now four-time world champion, "and to be voted Driver of the Year by fans... Wow. All I can do is thank them and for giving me their support wherever I am in the world. We all travel so much in F1, but I still remember growing up in Stevenage and I hadn't even contemplated that one day somebody would follow me."

It's at moments like these, up close and personal with Lewis, that the kid within still radiates. Yes, he's a superstar - of course he is, now a rival to Senna and Schumacher for global eminence - yet the inner core remains remarkably unaffected. And he has shown through another year of intense competition, for two thirds of which Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari offered a serious title threat, that his passion for the sport, and for racing, remains undimmed.

The stats tell part of the story: nine wins, 11 pole positions and a new outright pole-sitter's record (72 and counting) make him now the most successful British driver by any numerical measure. Equally telling has been the almost Zen-like approach to his craft this season; his failure to get riled by, for example, Vettel's lack of composure in Baku, or the media pasting he received for choosing to snub the 'F1 Live London' street demo back in July.

These moments, which seemed so desperately important at the time, by some of those close to them, were viewed more dispassionately and with commendable detachment by the man at the eye of the storm: Hamilton himself. These were mere side-shows in a grander narrative: that of becoming Britain's most - dare we suggest greatest? - racing driver. For Lewis has known precisely what he was doing throughout 2017. Over the off-season he'd unpicked his failure (for that's what it was) to win the 2016 title against his ever-needly team-mate Nico Rosberg and worked out a plan of attack for the season ahead.

He'd benefit from having a quick but non-antagonistic team-mate in Valtteri Bottas, whose contribution to the team's smooth running this year Hamilton is swift to acknowledge: "Valtteri's a great driver, who I'm enjoying racing with," he says. "But I don't mind who I race against - anyone in the world - as long as somehow you're able to maintain positivity in the team. Harmony is incredibly important for everyone to be enjoying what they do."

There was the catharsis, too, of the 'kitchen table session' with team boss Toto Wolff, during which grievances over supposed favouritism were aired and new shared goals established.

Lewis resolved still to play his own game, and present himself to the sport and the wider world in a manner that no F1 champion ever has before; but he'd strive to eliminate dips in form. These 'lost weekends' have previously been one of the few weak spots in the Hamilton armoury.

"When I arrived in F1 everyone kept telling me: 'This is the mould you have to get in, it's square and so you have to become square, whatever your original shape'" Lewis Hamilton

That's meant Bottas, for one, having to re-evaluate his assessment of Lewis's work ethic: "I always knew he was a good driver," confides Valtteri, "but I never knew how much he actually works. He works hard. He spends a lot of time with the guys at a race weekend, visits the factory quite a bit. And he's still just a normal human being, like the rest of us. Good manners, good respect and doesn't play any games."

When you're as stone-cold fast as Lewis Hamilton, game-play is never going to be the refuge of first resort: he (and others) knows he can always rely on reserves of pure pace, whenever the chips are down.

The Belgian Grand Prix provided this year's definitive example: Vettel had the faster Ferrari in the latter stages of the race and had the speed to win. Hamilton, though, had every answer for his rival's attack, failing to yield even under immense pressure through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, then onto the Kemmel straight. His microscopically perfect braking from maximum velocity into Les Combes on lap 34 after a Safety Car restart, with Vettel tucked under his rear wing - then alongside - earned him the win and, in hindsight, proved a turning point in the championship. It was as vivid a demonstration of Hamilton's sheer driving virtuosity as the season provided. No fuss, no error... No way, Jose!

He left Spa just seven points behind Seb, and Vettel would never lead the championship again. Monza fell inevitably to Mercedes, as Vettel salvaged third, but Ferrari thereafter imploded, snuffing out the interest in a title race that had so recently been acutely poised.
Hamilton's driving remained immaculate as Ferrari left an open goal: his win in Singapore was classic opportunism, his victory at Austin consummate.

There, indeed, he opened a fascinating window into some of what he has experienced this year as he and the once-unruly W08 have learned each other's rhythm: "It felt like I was dancing with the wind," was his description of the sensation of caressing his Mercedes downhill from Turn 1 at CoTA, through the swoops of Turns 2 to 9 on a blustery, breezy, qualifying Saturday.

Reaching for lyricism, he continued: "The tyres feel like living tissue. That's why we have to treat them so carefully, to bring out their performance and maintain it."

Truly, this year Hamilton has attained new peaks of performance, with an on-track sensitivity, style and panache any true fan must acknowledge, even if they don't care for his colourful lifestyle beyond the cockpit.

"Still I rise" is his mantra and in 2017, indeed, he has risen above all-comers to force the championship to yield to his will. "Yeah, I've done everything my own way. It's just me being the stubborn boy I am." And here's how...

Question: You seem to be saying that you won the world championship on your own terms this year. Is that how it feels?

Lewis Hamilton: I think through life there is always someone to say 'do it this way' or 'do it that way' because often you don't know which is the right way and some people have already discovered it - or have an opinion about what it should be. So to succeed eventually in the way you truly believe is the right way for you, once you've discovered that, is an accomplishment I think you can be proud of.

I've got great people around me in my personal team and in the race team; that's why I say we do this together because when they turn up on the Thursday to the Sunday they're there with me on the edge of their seats. If we fail together they feel the pain I feel. And if we win they feel the glory and the emotions - we win and lose together, it's really cool. I still feel that too, myself, from the other side. I'm a big, big fan of LeBron [James, the American basketball megastar] and when he's getting those hoops, I'm there with him. But when he loses, I feel the pain and I feel like I share that emotion.

Q: People often compare you with other Formula 1 'greats', but more than ever you seem to be your own man - and you're reaching fans way beyond motorsport...

LH: All I can say to that is: 'What works for you doesn't work for me'. But it's difficult to impose your choices. When I arrived in F1 everyone - legends, ex-drivers, the press - kept telling me: 'This is the mould you have to get in, it's square and so you have to become square, whatever your original shape'. This approach pushes you down, and suppresses you. It's a big problem in today's world: the suppression of ideas. It takes a strong positive mental attitude [to resist].

You have to believe in yourself, in your values, in the direction and the journey you're making. It comes with maturity, with work and pain. Sometimes I'd go back home after the races and I'd read what people wrote and it was like: 'If only you knew my heart. You talk shit about me, but who are you to judge me? I'm not trying to offend anyone, I'm only living my life'. But I'm very proud of being different, and of what we have done as a family. And this is right. You see people like Max Verstappen coming through, who's a different young character. You see what the Williams sisters have done in tennis - new people coming with new attitudes. We need it.

Q: But how do you stay on top of what appears to be an absolutely hectic private life, alongside an incredibly busy F1 calendar?

"This year was challenging on a personal level, but it was also the kind of championship I'd been hoping for - a bit like 2008, when you're fighting another team"

LH: It's hard for me to remain in the same place for long, I admit. I get bored, so I'm always on the move. But there are days during the year when it's OK to stop: during the winter break, at my house in Colorado, in the middle of an amazing place for nature, I recharge my batteries. In Monaco I keep myself busy, I train, I run... But if you could see my schedule...

Earlier in the year I had a weekend in New York for a fashion show, then it was back to the UK on Sunday; on Monday I was at the factory in Brackley, then in Germany for the Mercedes AMG Project One launch, Singapore for the GP, in London again for an event, then Milan for the fashion week, Malaysia for sponsor appearances and the race, a couple of days in Hong Kong, the Japanese GP in Suzuka, and then in Paris. The fact is, I love to bounce here and there. I sleep on the plane and it's not even so necessary. I'm young. We'll sleep when we're dead...

Q: So who would you bring along for a week in your world, if you could? We're talking drivers now. Your peers?

LH: From this era? Daniel Ricciardo. We can have a lot of fun together if we go for a week
in Miami. But all-time? James Hunt for sure! He was so great.

Q: If you don't mind us saying so, this all seems a bit at odds with your new vegan diet - or are we just missing the point?

LH: Ha! I feel great, but it is difficult to find food that you love as much as you did before. I found a burger, for example, which I love more than I did before. But it's hard to find as many things taste-wise that you like. It takes time to adjust but physically I feel the best I've ever felt.

So it's about making that step... and now I'm there... The other day I was at dinner with my friends and I was watching them eat meat and chicken and I felt sick to watch them. I think there's an advantage, too, because ultimately it's about how you fuel, isn't it? So the more efficient fuel you get, the more energy you have. You want any advantage as a racing driver, don't you?

Q: You've ended up as a dominant champion, but for the first two thirds of the year, you had a fantastic fight with Seb: wheel-to-wheel in Barcelona, Baku, Spa...

LH: This year was challenging on a personal level, but it was also the kind of championship I'd been hoping for - a bit like 2008, when you're fighting another team. That's especially true against Ferrari, another historic team, which Michael Schumacher raced for and won championships for.

Ferrari is the red car... and red's my favourite colour, so it's such a beautiful car to see on the track - but to fight it with a silver sword is, y'know, it's like the master sword! I'm really proud of that and to be able to battle someone else who is a four-time world champion, who's got great skill and a team that also knows how to win championships. That's how every championship needs to be. I think it's what Formula 1 wants to see. It's what I wanted to see, growing up watching F1.

Q: You and Seb actually seem to get on pretty well together...

LH: We're not 20-year olds any more, are we? We're grown men and if you watch the great players and athletes in other sports, the mind is everything. The mind is what is in control. Naturally you're having a battle with the guy behind, but, you know - 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. I watch Sebastian, I know what he's achieved, I know how consistent he's been and I know where his strengths and weaknesses are. Same for his car, too.

Then if you look at an athlete like [Tennis player Rafael] Nadal... The composure that they have through a game, and how they present themselves after a win or a defeat. Stars like that really set an example that I try to follow. I try not to contain any negativity in my life, no matter what is written, no matter what people say. I've managed to build this kind of barrier to bounce off negativity because I think love conquers all and positivity conquers all.

Q: Even after Vettel drove into you, in Baku?

LH: I think the media wanted that feud! But all of that, even today, seems a little bit odd. I hope everyone can really enjoy this year and some of the great battles we've all had. I'm not going to try and give even more controversy next year. I hope that we just give you more raw racing, you know? That's what the sport needs, that's what we're struggling towards.

"We have this certain sense of awareness and higher limits than others, I guess. I do feel very proud to be in and amongst those legendary drivers"

Q: You mentioned Michael... Some of his records, which seemed out of reach, like 91 wins and seven titles... You're creeping up on them.

LH: Well even the idea of being a four-time champion seems out of reach for now. It's like I'm in space... It's not registering at the moment. But first and foremost, we all know how exceptional Michael was and his records have lasted for so long. Each year I don't set a goal to make records. I have a goal of improving certain areas where you feel you could be better. So it is very, very crazy to think that I've matched certain records. People talk about Michael's single-mindedness about his job, but to stand out in the world today, it's a lot harder, I think, because it's all been done before.

There's a lot of life to live beyond forty, but I can't come back to Formula 1, so there's going to be a point at which I say: 'OK, I've had enough'. I've already been blessed and had such a wonderful time here these last ten years. And I'm going to continue to - while I'm at my best - try to... I want to go out on top. That's my goal.

Obviously each year I could do the easy thing like Nico [Rosberg], which is just stop and retreat with these four titles, but I think there's more in me. There's more to come, more of a challenge, as there's harder times ahead and I like that, I love that. That's challenging.

Q: You've now won more titles than your idol, Ayrton Senna, and you broke his pole record this year. Do you still measure yourself against him in any way?

LH: I don't ever really compare myself with Ayrton. I think it's very hard to compare previous eras. The cars are so different and so on. But what I would say is that ultimately us racing drivers are great at getting into a car and exploiting its strengths and weaknesses and putting it to the limit. Even if it were say, Fangio, if you put him on a jetski or whatever, he'd take it to the limit. We have this certain sense of awareness and higher limits than others, I guess.

I do feel very proud to be in and amongst those legendary drivers, and we're in a different era where safety is so much further ahead but technology is too. The challenge Ayrton would have faced in his time is a lot different today, mentally. We're maybe less physically challenged, but mentally more with all the electronics that you have to control. It's not one era that is more difficult than another, they're just unique in their own way.

I really do think Ayrton would have continued to win more if he was fortunate enough to have more life to live. That bright life of his was cut short. I've always said since I got the first championship [2008], I kind of liked the idea that I'm carrying a baton on and seeing how far we can push it. He inspired me as a kid, and even when he was gone, I still came back and watched his videos like it was just yesterday he was racing.

Q: You've had a tough fight this year and it looks like Max Verstappen fancies a piece of the action too. What's he like to race against?

LH: Max has driven exceptionally well this year. He's been able to extract a lot of the potential from that Red Bull. It has a good aero package, and while it has had reliability issues, when the car's been right, he's done a wonderful job. It's exciting to see him emerge.

Even as another driver I appreciate what he does and his talent. And I don't feel any negativity towards it. I want him to be his best and don't fear that. So I think I'm going to have to stay around a little longer. I look forward to having more races with him.