Lewis Hamilton ‘blown away’ watching creation of Mercedes F1 dream machine
ewis Hamilton’s office door is not always open but at Albert Park this weekend he invited us in to share the intimate relationship he has with the new Mercedes F1 WO7, the car he believes will take him to his fourth world championship this season.
A few hours earlier he had appeared in sullen mood as he straight-batted a number of questions about his recent and controversial holiday activities in New Zealand.
But, as he prepared for the opening Formula One race of the season here on Sunday, his eyes danced excitedly as he pored over the silver-green gleam of his new machine. “It is great to see it being put together for the first time,” he says with a grin. “I am just blown away every time to see this complete new creation. It is just an evolution from last year’s car but it just looks so different.”
Hamilton, unlike his team-mate Nico Rosberg, is not renowned for discussing his mode of transport in forensic detail with Mercedes mechanics and engineers. The relationship the 31-year-old has with his car is of an almost spiritual nature, as a sailor might enjoy with his boat. And the cockpit that swaddles him, that fuses with him every fortnight, is where he now concentrates his rapt attention.
“The cockpit is all mine,” he says, with an almost maniacal relish. “Every other driver I have driven against gets out and lets the mechanics file their seat down. I do it myself. This is my second seat here. The first one lasted three years. I filed it down, put the tape on and never have to change it.”
Looking at the car as a whole he adds: “This is my office. It is a pretty cool desk. This is where I feel most comfortable.”
For the Full Article
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/18/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-f1-dream-machine-australian-grand-prix
Lewis. Since Ayrton Senna, you are the best racing driver! I’m brazilian and racing driver too (saloon car).