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Q & A with Lewis Hamilton
| By Jonathan Noble |
Lewis Hamilton heads into this weekend's Italian Grand Prix having experienced a roller coaster of emotions since taking the chequered flag in Belgium. From celebrating his 'win' he suffered the heartbreak of a penalty for gaining an advantage by cutting a chicane.
That decision has caused huge controversy, but Hamilton remains fully focused on his job of winning the world championship. Autosport.com heard from the Briton when he met the media during a packed press session in the McLaren Brand Centre.
Q. Could you give us your thoughts and feelings as to how you felt when you left the track on Sunday night after the decision had been made?
Lewis Hamilton: I felt pretty good, to be honest. I felt it was always a driver's dream to win in Spa, and when you win in such amazing conditions and in such an exhilarating way - I was so excited. My heart was racing for those last few laps. I felt really satisfied with the job that I did. I came away from the circuit, for sure in a bit of disbelief - but this is motor racing and it is to be expected sometimes.
Q. You may not want to go into what was said between you and the stewards, but can you tell who spoke to you and led the discussion you were involved in?
LH: I am not really allowed to discuss it. I only spoke to one person and none of the others had any questions for me.
Q. Do you think this decision could prove significant in the world championship battle?
LH: I hope not, and I damn sure plan to make sure that it has no effect on it. I still have a two-point lead and we are going to make sure that we continue to attack and perform like we did in the last two races. And knowing that we have that package makes us more and more confident, and if anything - we can use this as our fuel to keep on pushing. I feel great. For the next few races our car will suit the circuits just as well as it did at Spa, so we are going to make sure we do the best job we can.
Q. You have had two penalties from gaining an advantage this year – one in Magny-Cours and one in Spa. You cannot speak about Spa (due to judicial process), but was the French penalty too hard?
LH: I got a drive-through penalty there. I haven't really thought it much, to be honest. It wasn't a great weekend, but I got the penalty and I dealt with it. That is an opinion they took from it – and we didn't really make the best decision. The team didn't tell me I was in that position and that I needed to let him past. So, it was a kind of different situation.
Q. The decision by the stewards has caused total uproar among thousands or millions of your fans. But it is notable that not just your fans but Ferrari fans and Alonso fans have come onto websites and said they also believe it was wrong. How heartening is it to see such a groundswell of support?
LH: I have kind of switched off since the last race. I always go back, do my own thing and don't really pay too much attention to it. But I have heard a lot of positive stuff and I think it is incredible to see just how much support I have had. I probably don't notice the full amount of support I do have, but I know there is a lot of support going on. So thank you to all of you – I know there has been a lot of support there as well.
But I am a racer. I do the best job I can on the track. I race my heart off. There is no one that puts more heart into it than me. I felt in the last race, that is what I did – and I have just got to make sure that I keep on doing that – and showing people what I can do. No one can take that away from me.
Q. We saw when you returned to the motorhome after seeing the stewards that you were in a fantastic frame of mind and looked quite confident that it was going to go okay. Can you explain how you coped with the shock of discovering that it wasn't a win?
LH: The first thing when you get out of the car is that you look forward to seeing your team, and celebrating with them. Coming back in here (the McLaren Brand Centre), there is always an amazing atmosphere, everyone is waiting for you and everyone is wearing the orangy-red tops. You are back here with your family and it feels great. We did have that feeling, and it was kind of sidetracked a little bit because I did have to do other things.
I came back here, sat in my room and I knew what the situation may be so I was totally prepared mentally for it, and I just chilled like I always do in my room. I think I was probably the most composed person in the paddock. That is the way it always needs to be.
Q. So you weren't kicking things or swearing?
LH: No.
Q. After being punished by the stewards after such a fantastic fight, is it not dangerous for F1 to do that after such a race?
LH: I think what I can say is that as you know F1 has got really exciting over the last couple of years because it has been so close. It is so difficult to overtake in F1 as it is, and when it does happen people get very excited. The fact is that I can overtake in F1. I have shown it can be done, and I don't think I am in a position to say if it is going to ruin F1. (But) surely if we drive around and don't overtake it won't be as exciting and people won't watch. I think motorsport and racing in general – it is what we are here to do. If we can't overtake then there is no point in racing – it won't be a race. It will be a train.
Q. Does it have any effect on your approach to racing?
LH: For me? No, it is not going to change my approach. I am a racer and this is how I grew up. I grew up learning to overtake, fighting my way from the back of the grid and I overtake in the best way possible. I feel I am one of the best at doing it. I don't feel I need to change that and I will continue to do so. MY TAKE-(comeon Hamilton....you are saying your are the best,first get an world title!!!....Lewis Hamilton's report card says he's 1 of the least experienced f1 drivers on the grid ...nor he's the driver on the grid who have won all the races.....ok you can say it to yourself you are the best in every thing u do in that f-1 car...say it in your room....say it alone...but why to media....that too not having any hard proof to prove that!!!...!!)
Q. In Magny-Cours you were penalised for not giving a position back. In Spa you were penalised after giving a position back. In terms of giving a position back, how obvious do you think you have to make it back that you have given it back?
LH: I don't know! We could joke about it and say a lap maybe! I don't know. I honestly don't know. I guess maybe they should tell us.
Q. You say you are confident for the coming races, but how much is the shadow of Massa a concern for you?
LH: Not really. I think Massa he is on the back foot and he is the one that has to work damn hard to keep up with me. We do have a close race, a close battle, but I feel I am in a very strong position. I feel I have got a great car and we are going to continue going down the same route we have been going down, and continue to knock at them and take points from them, and improve our reliability in all areas.
I feel like I am coming away from a win, and moving on to the next race. Normally I would be sitting here and you would be saying, 'how does it feel, it must feel great with the momentum from the last win.' And that is how I feel. I don't feel any different from when we normally win. I don't feel at all disheartened about what happened and I think I have been very, very fortunate. I have got a lot of support behind me and I feel great, and I know this weekend we can win. That is what we are here to do. MY TAKE-(OK!! OK!! u said you are the best ,look at this ....how un diplomatic!!!!.....he has just let the tag of an F-1 driver into an dirty drain,when we think of an F-1 driver ...we think about diplomacy and gentlemanship.....and talking such things....that too doubting on the talent and rather raising question about the talent of your collegeaue !!!...thats really very unsporting!!...it shows how an kid you are lewis!!....Massa would not be the best driver on the grid....but an good gentleman driver ...would never say such things about the other competetors...!!...and again he said massa needs to work really hard....like am not getting the words to tell how rediculous it was to read that!!!)
Q. Was part of Spa that mentally you thought you had done enough to let him past you, but because the Ferrari had no grip it could not get past you?
LH: I don't think he had no grip. We had the same amount of grip.
(Ron Dennis few days ago said"Our cars are better than the ferrari's in the wet....Our cars get heat into the tyres much faster and better" which flatly means the mclaren of lewis hamilton has more grip than the ferrari....at least on the wet track,....and lewis says both cars have same grip...i think he talks abt others just too much or just he's again trying to prove he is far more better driver than Kimi Raikkonen...!!!)
Q. But he was braking much earlier than you?
LH: Well, that's his driving, that's all. That is how he drives. If you don't have the balls to brake late then that is your problem! At the end of the day, in those situations it is the driver who can feel the grip more and put the car more on the edge. And I know I am great in those conditions. I felt the grip more than him, I knew where to place my car and I did place it in different positions to him and I found the grip.
(Ok hamilton you got four balls hence you braked late approaching the bus stop chicane but what happened why you braked so hard later...u lost grip!!! you are so funny man!!......if u had four balls and you braked late then why you slowed down???.....only cause you slowed down did kimi came side by side to you....and then instead of slowing down to let kimi go ahead u preferred cutting the chicane and gaining an advantage....you call yourself the best and then do such dirty tricks...shame on you lewis......)
Q. So you felt you had done enough to let him through?
LH: Yes, I did.
Q. To what extend are you motivated by a degree of revenge here?
LH: I don't feel ever that there is a need for revenge. The fact is we are having a great season battling the Ferraris, which is a real pleasure. They are a fantastic team and so are we. We fight so closely, and it really does come down to who does the better job as a whole.
So it means the team doing a more solid job with reliability, pit stops, and strategy – and the driver keeping the thing on the track and pulling out those tenths of a second. Coming here, it would be great to win like last year and beat them on their home turf. It is a hard knock, and fortunately we covered our home grands prix this year so hopefully we can do it here as well.
Q. A lot of supporters have complained about the penalty, but most drivers say this matter is discussed in the briefings and they agree with the penalty. How do you receive that?
LH: Normally in the drivers' briefing we don't talk about that sort of thing. And do we all agree on things? It never happens. We always have our own opinions, but they have their own right to have their own opinion about what happened. It is always easy having a certain opinion when you are not involved, or you are the one who is not winning.
*Q. Would you have made the same move if there was a wall there at the chicane?
LH: At the end of the day, as drivers and me – I never leave the circuit unless it is absolutely necessary. In that case I left the circuit to avoid a collision. I think if it was somewhere like Valencia, where there was a wall, it could have been pretty dangerous. I would have hoped that Kimi would have been more fair and realised that I would need a bit more space. But this is racing – I would go for the move, hope it worked and if it didn't, it didn't.
(WOW !!...he was expecting kimi to give him space.....if kimi had given him space he may have easily got away with his bad overtaking maneovere!! and he says we are racing.....i think he means things must always be fair for him....ppl must giv him space to share their racing line with him....balh....blah....blah....what more lewis.....your staying in this start hotel...in the executive suit...all your demands would be met and fullfilled!!)
Q. At the end of last season you said you didn't want to win a title in the courtroom. Do you see this case as totally different?
LH: We as a team have the opinion that we want to win races on the track, and that is what we come here to do. That is why there are 900 people working their arses off every day to make sure we come to the track and win. That is what motorsport is about, and it is not something we want to do or plan to do by winning it in court.
This is a slightly different situation to last year, but everyone in the team feels we won the race on moral grounds. And we have just got to try our best and stay squeky clean out of trouble for the rest of the season – and not let them have any opportunity to put us in that position.
courtsey-autosport.com
2 comments:
Mr Jonathan Noble of autosport.com, if truly you inserted those comments in red then your certificate of journalism really has to be questioned.I doubt you even have a certificate. In the first place, yourself, don't understand the questions you ask. so i'm not surprised that you don't understand Lewis' answers as well. Secondly, stop misquoting. Lewis never said that he was the best f1 driver as you wrote rather he said he FEELS he is ONE OF THE BEST f1 drivers which is very legitimate. If he doesn't believe in himself who should? You call Massa a diplomatic gentleman and i call him a hypocrite. Cause he's never bold enough to speak out truth. You say Lewis' is inexperienced so according to you, SIR KNOW ALL, what should we call it when an inexperienced child beats the so called experienced adults hands down? If i were to be one of those exp. adults, i would call it quits before the child gives me more disgrace. GO MEDITATE!
Thank you for your comment,you are entitled to your opinion,and i would like to clarify one thing that the above interview was conducted by jonathan noble and an google blogger(me) have reviewed and posted it(the red comments),as i actually felt those lines from lewis's mouth didn't looked great and F-1 is an gentleman's sport and using slang language and criticising his rivals or other fellow drivers in the paddock(kimi and massa) he was being very un-gentle.
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