Hamilton: Number one is coolest thing ever

Still in slight disbelief about the topsy-turvy end to the Brazilian Grand Prix, he smiled: "It was crazy, just crazy."

Yet despite the craziness of the previous afternoon, Hamilton woke up this morning as world champion. He had achieved his ambition of clinching the title - on the home soil of hero Ayrton Senna no less - and was having a hard time soaking up all that happened in the previous 24 hours.

But in total contrast to the post Brazil GP hangover of last year, where he had drowned his sorrows into the early hours after the gearbox failure cost him the 2007 crown, Hamilton had bailed out of the McLaren title-winning party much earlier this time around.

"I didn't drink last night," he revealed during a press briefing with selected media. "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, 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!"

Indeed, unlike some of the press contingent present who had partied into the night at Red Bull's end of season bash, Hamilton was fresh faced, perky and bright.

"It feels great. It feels great," he smiled. "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 is why it keeps popping back into my head, to show it is reality. So it is a great feeling."

The closing laps of the Brazilian GP helped deliver what has been called the greatest season finale ever. In just two laps, Hamilton had lost the title when Sebastian Vettel grabbed fifth off him on the penultimate tour - before winning it when he got past Glock just two corners from the end.

And while his on-track rivals claimed they did not know what impact they were having on his title ambitions, Hamilton said he fully knew how delicate things were for him.

"Yes, I was fully aware of the whole situation," he explained. "I think through the whole race I didn't know Felipe (Massa) 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. Even when I came across the line I knew I had not won it just yet."

For the whole of the last lap, Hamilton's fans at home were left pondering that he had thrown away the world championship - after all the efforts of an amazing season. Sat in the cockpit, however, Hamilton had little time for regret - he knew he had to take action.

"I just thought: I've got to get him back," he explained. "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, and so we were just trying to nurse the car as well as get every percent of the car out. 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 that (Timo) Glock was just ahead. He is on slick tyres and he is 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, and 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: woo hoo, you've won the championship! But they didn't! So I was panicking for a second.

"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 are 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."

Hamilton says that there are valuable lessons that he will take out of a 2008 campaign when he not only emerged as a more mature driver, but also found out how punishing mistakes can be.

"I think this year was a lot different to last year," he said. "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 (Brazil 2007) 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 either through a mistake from myself or a mistake by the team.

"But 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, but 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 we are just focusing on trying not to make those mistakes - like the way we approached this weekend - and try to be more consistent."

So is he ready for the next challenge and the next level of performance?

"I think I am ready," he said. "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 home. I know I have an incredible amount of support back home. But I don't anticipate 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."

And there remains a huge incentive to add more world championship tallies to his roster. Last season he had a bet with McLaren boss Ron Dennis that if he won three world title, Hamilton would be given a McLaren F1 LM road car.

"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," smiled Hamilton.

"Just to get to one has been unbelievably hard, so hopefully the next one will be easier - but the rules change every year. It is going to be just as competitive every year and there are great drivers like Felipe Massa and Heikki Kovalainen my teammate. They are always going to be pushing me and so to beat them every year is going to be tough.

"Each year I am 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."

For now the focus shifts to the future. Hamilton flies back to England on Monday night ahead of promotional work later in the week for Vodafone and Mercedes-Benz. Then it will be holiday time with family, before perhaps returning to the cockpit for the final test of the season.

And that break will give him plenty of time to reflect on the crazy end to what has been a remarkable season.