OTHER SPORT

LEWIS LOVES HIS STAR TURN

Friday May 11,2007

By Bob McKenzie

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(0)

AS he is transformed from rookie to global star, Lewis Hamilton is feeling more like an astral traveller looking down on himself as he prepares for the latest stage of his star trek in Formula One.

Hamilton arrived for the first European race of the season in Barcelona yesterday as joint leader of the drivers’ championship and walked into a paddock packed with motorhomes.

Hamilton, 22, was then shown to his private room in the McLaren Mercedes motorhome and it struck him how life has changed.

“For the last two years in F3 and GP2 I have been coming into the motorhome to say hello and people have looked at me as the up and coming star really,” he said.

“Now I am here and I have my own room, I have taken Kimi’s space. It’s really weird. It’s like an out-of-body experience. It is almost like watching yourself do it.”

Being given the air-conditioned, sound-proofed room once used by Kimi Raikkonen away from all prying eyes except the few he needs around him is not taken for granted.

It is a thrill and Hamilton, while totally assured, does not try to hide the fact and is also happy to confirm he was a particular fan of the Finn as a McLaren driver before he joined Ferrari this season.

In one breath, Hamilton can be the wide-eyed boy from Tewin in Hertfordshire and then declare with ease that he can win the world drivers’ championship in his first season.

“I have come to learn, to do a solid job and get points for the team,” he said.

“I’m in the same car as Fernando; we have a great team behind us and there is absolutely no reason why I cannot win.

“We are three races in, although it feels like we have had half a season already. There will be ups and down, a few hiccups, although I’ve worked extremely hard to make sure they don’t catch me out.

“The key is that everyone is very competitive and it is going to be down to reliability and consistency of drivers.

“I will have to work hard mentally to make sure I stay as focused as possible.” That will take much more of an effort than it seems for him to compete with his double world champion team-mate Alonso or Raikkonen and Felipe Massa at Ferrari.

Having been away for six weeks on the first three far-flung races, he has had time at home since returning in the four-week gap between Bahrain and Spain.

If anything brought home the change in status, he says it was waking up every day to see photographers outside his parents’ house.

“That’s weird,” he says, although he now lives near the McLaren headquarters.

“Last weekend I had all the family at home and I said to everyone, ‘I’m still Lewis, nothing has changed, just treat me as you always have, don’t come up to me all excited’. It’s important to have that bond with your family.

“It was nice to be home. I did some training, sat in the living room and realised I was not a GP2 driver anymore.

“I live in Woking now but I like to nip home and take the washing with me.”

Out of body maybe, but not out of mind.