Formula One Fantasy - McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton
His Formula One debut was with leading team McLaren, he won his first Grand Prix aged just 22 and took the championship at 23 - for most people, Lewis Hamilton is already living the dream. But there’s still plenty left on Hamilton’s F1 fantasy wish list, including having the opportunity to race around Las Vegas and Kyalami, watching Juan Manuel Fangio compete against Ayrton Senna, giving his MP4-26 a James Bond-style makeover, and kicking back in his own motorhome-based recording studio…
Q: You must choose a city for a new Formula One street circuit - which city, anywhere in the world, do you choose and why?
Lewis Hamilton: Oh, it would have to be London or Las Vegas. I think Vegas would be more fun. It would be a great weekend for everyone.
Q: If you could choose one former world champion as your team mate, who would you choose and why?
LH: Ayrton Senna. He was the best. I would love to compete against him.
Q: Formula One innovations of the past - ground effect, active suspension, turbocharging, six wheels, the list goes on. If you could bring back one past innovation, what would it be and why?
LH: I think it would be adjustable ride height. I have seen that on Senna’s car. He could control the ride height - that was pretty cool.
Q: What innovations would you like to see in the future?LH: I miss the V12 (engines) and the old V10. I would like to have bigger tyres and more gadgets on the car so that it’s like a James Bond car: you press a button and oil comes out the back - that would be really cool. And it would help!
Q: You can only drive at one circuit for the rest of your life - which circuit, past or present from anywhere in the world, do you choose?
LH: I would chose the Nordschleife. It would be amazing. That 20-something kilometre track would keep you learning all the time. It would never be boring, guaranteed. I drive it every year including this year. It is an unbelievable experience.
Q: Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Tyrrell, March are just some of the teams that have departed the sport. Which former team would you most liked to have raced with and why?
LH: I think I would say Tyrrell. They were a great success story in their time. Ken Tyrrell must have been a very shrewd team principal.
Q: You have to design a new F1 circuit, combining all your favourite corners from other tracks around the world. Which three corners are top of your list and why?LH: I would have Eau Rouge from Spa-Francorchamps, Mirabeau from Monaco and Bridge from Silverstone. It would make a very interesting track.
Q: You can travel back in time and compete in any decade of Formula One racing, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Which decade would you choose and why?
LH: I would chose the late 1980s and early 1990s. That was the time when I started to watch Formula One and decided that this could be my profession one day. And, of course, the cars looked the coolest. It must have been amazing to drive those cars in competition.
Q: What current Formula One regulation would you most like to change and why?
LH: Bigger engines would be cool - an ear-deafening sound! Secondly I would like to see refuelling come back. It was easier to race lighter cars at the start.
Q: If you could pick two Formula One greats of the past (from different eras) to watch race against each other, whom would you pick?LH: Juan Manuel Fangio racing against Ayrton Senna. The two greatest drivers of all time - and me looking to see who really was the best.
Q: If you were a team boss, which current driver would you pick first for your team (excluding yourself and your current team mate)?
LH: I guess I would pick Nico Rosberg. You have to consider the whole package that comes with a driver. Harmony in the team, consistency and all that. As a team principal you have to think about every aspect.
Q: Just 19 of the world’s motor racing circuits feature on the current Formula One calendar. You can add one more. Which circuit do you pick and why?
LH: I would say Kyalami in South Africa. Somehow this part of the world is missing from the calendar.
Q: You are having a dinner party and can invite four people from the world of motorsport, past or present. Who do you invite?LH: I wouldn’t. Who to invite? Nobody. I would want to invite girls!
Q: You are given the chance to drive any legendary Formula One car of the past. Which car would you choose?
LH: The (McLaren) MP4-4. That is my favourite car. I have driven it already, so I know what I am talking about. That was an awesome car.
Q: Rooftop swimming pool, bowling alley, revolving sushi bar - just some of the features most F1 motorhomes don’t possess. If you could add one thing to your team’s motorhome, what would it be?
LH: What would be cool would be a golf simulator, a spa with a sauna and steam bath, and female masseuses (laughs). Ah, and a recording studio. Wow, now that I think about it, yes, a recording studio would be fantastic.
Q: You have just won the world title. Where would you go for your celebratory meal and what would choose from the menu?
LH: The best celebration is to go with family and friends. My dream would be to fly to Grenada, where my family comes from and go out on a party boat. A really nice old boat, with people playing percussion, reggae music, listening to Bob Marley and sailing into the night. That would be cool.
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment