Q & A with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton: I feel fantastic, firstly to be here in Australia for the first time and to be here as a McLaren-Mercedes driver is an amazing thing.

Q. How did it feel to walk into the paddock for the first time?

LH: It is just amazing. Every year this is the most exciting part of the season and usually I am home in sunny England, getting up early on Sunday morning to watch the race. Now I am going to be there out on track. I am really, really looking forward to it.

Q. What do you think you will feel like being on the grid? What will be the biggest challenge?

LH: It is an extremely tough learning curve for me coming into my first Grand Prix, but racing is all relative. I have had many years of racing, I have had an intense training programme, and done a lot of mileage in the car. So hopefully having a first race is extremely exciting. I have a job to do but I am really looking forward to it.

Q. Do you feel like a superstar?

LH: It is difficult to say. You can say it, but I don't feel like a superstar. I feel like a Formula One driver. So I guess if that means I am a superstar by being a Formula One driver then so be it. I just feel great to be here.

Q. Have you noticed anyone changing their habits or behaviour towards you now that you are an F1 driver?

LH: Some people, but not all. I think obviously being a driver there is a lot of attention on you but everyone I have met has been quite genuine and they have always supported me. For the media there is a lot more attention there though.

Q. Bernie Ecclestone said recently in an interview that the younger generation of drivers look first for money and then only after that for a good car. Do you belong to this generation?

LH: I don't think so. And I disagree with him personally. Maybe some drivers are like that, I don't really know. But for me any driver who is in Formula One would do it for free. And I would have done exactly the same - although I hope my boss doesn't hear that because he is paying me still! You don't get here for the money, you do it for the love and the passion. And to prove that you can get somewhere and be the best. For sure it is a positive when you get paid to do something you love doing, for me that is not the drive - especially not for me at least.

Q. Fernando Alonso has the number one of his car and you have number two. How long do you see yourself being satisfied like that?

LH: To be honest, and if you are realistic, that is how it is. Fernando is an extremely talented driver, as a two-time world champion, and I respect him and respect that position. We have to wait and see. I don't look at the team and say: 'I am number two.' We are both there to do a strong job for the team and we are both there to win. So we will see at the end of the day.

Q. Do you think a lot of people envy you?

LH: I think a lot of people are just extremely excited, and a lot of people I have seen are very happy for me. Coming through the years with the support of McLaren-Mercedes, for sure there have been a lot of people who envy me - and I would probably have felt the same if I was in there position. But I think at the end of the day I have worked extremely hard to be where I am today, and I am proud of where I am.

Q. What is your aim for the weekend?

LH: To finish, and to hopefully finish in the points. That would be a great starting point to the season.

Q. Are you ready for it?

LH: I am. I think within an hour of arriving in Melbourne we got here and got straight to it. I needed to go around the track, and it was nice sunshine and really nice to finally get out on the circuit and just be here. I have obviously been in Australia for a couple of days but to finally be in Melbourne is an amazing feeling.

Q. Are you impatient to get on with it?

LH: No. I am just relaxed and there is a lot to take in. So I am taking it steady and just enjoying the moment. I am going to keep on enjoying it, and it will come.

Q. It's been a busy winter. How well prepared are you for the actual race?

LH: It has been a very, very long winter of testing. We have covered a lot of mileage and I was the second highest driver in terms of distance covered. I think Heikki Kovalainen was first, but I think I did something like 7600 kilometres. That is a lot to do in such a short space of time. I am extremely fit and feel very, very relaxed about that. I have done a lot of race distances and I really don't honestly feel I could be better prepared. I don't think a year of testing would have prepared me any more. I have got another step to do, which is to learn about the race and the whole race weekend, but that is something I am used to.

Q. And you had that big accident at Valencia. It must be good to get that out of the way?

LH: It wasn't the plan, but whenever you get into a new category you have got to get out there. It is going to come eventually. If you don't spin and you don't crash then you are not pushing enough, and it was just finding the limits of the car. And I did!

Q. Are the team pushing you?

LH: The team is quite relaxed. The team know they don't need to push me. I pushed myself hard enough as it is. I think they are working strongly together to produce a very good car. We have really done a lot of development work over the winter and I think we will have a very strong package. But we have to see what happens this weekend. It is difficult to say who will be at the front but for sure we will be competitive.

Q. You have said before that you have never been fazed by any team mate you have. Is that still the plan?

LH: It is true. I have never been fazed and I am not fazed now. I am in a great position. I respect Fernando and I realise my position in the team, but at the end of the day I am here to win and I will be working towards that.