Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Made for speed

MADE SPEED FOR SPEED

Lewis Hamilton was virtually unknown to the British public last year, but in a matter of months he has gone from being a promising young British motor racing driver to the ‘saviour of Formula One’. Andrew Fagan caught up with the darling of the British sports media in Monaco

Before 22-year-old Lewis Hamilton had begun blazing through his debut season in possibly the most glamorous sport in the world, he had already set himself the long-term goal of winning the driver’s world championship. As a youngster, he was inspired by the Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna, and as he watched Senna claim his three world championships, Hamilton dreamed of one day emulating his hero.

But even Hamilton must have been a little surprised that he was immediately able to compete with – and sometimes be faster than – giants of the sport such as McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, Ferrari’s flying Finn Kimi Räikkönen and Brazilian ace Felipe Massa, also of Ferrari. A record run of podium finishes for a rookie driver propelled Hamilton to the top of the championship and into the public eye.

“Everywhere I go now, whether it’s the petrol station or the corner shop or the supermarket, people notice me,” he says. “You could say they’re reluctant to approach me. You see them whisper to their friends. It’s quite strange and you have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s real. Fortunately for me I’ve not just shot to the top. I just have to make sure I enjoy it because there isn’t much you can do about it.”

He’s in demand and on the front pages of all the British newspapers but he’d been well prepared for that level of attention. The road to the top started in a modest house in Stevenage, 30 miles from London, where Lewis grew up. His father, Anthony, made every possible sacrifice to give his son a chance to get to where he is now – he held down three jobs to fund Lewis’ fitness work, language lessons, extra school classes and special training sessions.

For most school kids the discipline and sacrifice needed to carry out such a rigid routine would have been too much. So what sets Hamilton apart?

“I love racing. I’ve been dedicated to it for a long time,” he explains. “I’ve made sacrifices and so have my family. I think I have a competitive nature. I always wanted to succeed, right from the start, when I was just a boy. So now that I’m here, in Formula One, I feel good, but I also feel it’s the right thing for me and it is now my challenge to succeed again.”

Amazingly, and to his family’s credit, Lewis has retained a balanced personality. He likes R&B and funky house, enjoys hanging out with his brother Nicholas and can be seen washing the family cars on rare weekends off from being an international sports star.

Initially a lot of fuss was made over Hamilton being the first afro-Caribbean driver in Formula One (Anthony’s parents were from Grenada), but that has died down and you get the impression that suits him just fine.

“My background is just part of me, so I think it’s a good thing if it helps to encourage other people from different ethnic groups to get involved [in F1],” he says. “This isn’t something for just one group of people, it’s for everyone to enjoy. I hope people can see me and relate to me and see that it’s possible to do anything you want, including getting into this sport.”

For Hamilton, getting into the sport has been a fairly smooth journey. Already a karting prodigy at just 11-years-old, he approached McLaren boss Ron Dennis at a glittering awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London, and said: “Hello, my name is Lewis Hamilton and one day I would like to drive for your McLaren team.”

Dennis was so taken by Lewis’s ambition that he called Anthony soon after and offered to underwrite his son’s racing career. Dennis has sponsored Hamilton through the rapid rise that has seen him suceed in every championship he has entered – and the bond between them remains strong. “He has been brilliant to me, always, all the way,” confirms Hamilton.

Although events at the Monaco Grand Prix in May (where a frustrated Hamilton came second to his team mate Alonso) might have strained their relationship briefly, Hamilton pulled himself together to speak philosophically after the race. “At the end of the day, I’m a rookie. I’ve come into my first season in Formula One and finished second in my first Monaco Grand Prix, so I can’t really complain,” he said.

Racing alongside an established star like double world champion Alonso could be seen as a curse but, typically, Hamilton sees it as an opportunity to learn from the ice-cool Spaniard: “Racing against Fernando… it couldn’t be tougher than that. On the other hand, having a two-time world champion who is very experienced and very talented and a few years older than me in the team is just great. I view this as a positive thing.”

It is this maturity and confidence that has prompted former world champion Jackie Stewart, among others, to tip Hamilton to become a Formula One great. But while he admits it’s nice to earn respect and admirers, Hamilton is more interested in the serious business of winning races. “That’s my job. That’s what I’m here for and it’s what I have been preparing for, for many years,” he says. “It’s true it is a dream for me to achieve this, but really it’s about continuing to make progress, to establish myself and to be successful.”

Over the next few months, Hamilton will be pursuing those Grand Prix victories at some of Europe’s most exciting circuits near Brussels Airlines’ destinations. If you can get to any of the events, then go: you just might witness the early stages of a glittering career.

The story so far…

The highs and highs of Lewis Hamilton’s F1 career…

■ Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, 18 March Finished 3rd
■ Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang, 8 April Finished 2nd
■ Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain, 15 April Finished 2nd
■ Spanish Grand Prix, Catalunya, 13 May Finished 2nd
■ Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, 27 May Finished 2nd
■ Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal, 10 June Finished 1st
■ US Grand Prix, Indianapolis, 17 June Finished 1st

…and to come this month

■ French Grand Prix, MagnyCours, 1 July
■ British Grand Prix, Silverstone, 8 July
■ German Grand Prix, Nurburgring, 22 July

FR » La voie rapide

En quelques mois seulement, Lewis Hamilton, 22ans, s’est tracé une voie jusqu’au sommet, le championnat de Formule 1, après avoir enregistré de nombreuses victoires sur le podium. Lui même a dû être pris de court, il ne s’attendait sans doute pas à entrer aussi rapidement en pole position aux côtés des géants de ce sport – dont son co-équipier Fernando Alonso de l’écurie McLaren – pour sa première saison.

“C’est une sensation étrange, vous devez vous pincer pour être sûr que tout cela est bien réel,” dit-il. “Heureusement pour moi, je n’ai pas grimpé trop vite vers le succès.” En réalité, sa route vers la gloire a commencé tôt. A Stevenage, où il a grandi, son père Anthony a fait tous les sacrifices possibles pour donner une chance à son fils, prenant jusqu’à trois jobs pour financer sa formation et les cours d’entraînement.

A 11 ans ce prodige du karting, approche Ron Dennis, le boss de McLaren à l’occasion d’une cérémonie de remise des prix et lui dit: “Un jour, j’aimerais piloter dans votre équipe.” Dennis fut tellement impressionné qu’il décida de sponsoriser Hamilton jusqu’à cette ascension fulgurante qui l’a vu remporter toutes les compétitions.

Hamilton a dû se contenter d’une seconde place derrière Alonso au Grand Prix de Monaco en mai, mais selon lui courir à côté d’un double champion en titre est une bonne opportunité d’apprendre. Face à cette maturité et à cette confiance les commentateurs se sont empressés de lui prédire une brillante carrière. Mais à l’heure actuelle, Hamilton se concentre essentiellement sur la victoire: “C’est mon job. C’est pour cela que je suis ici et c’est aussi ce à quoi je me suis préparé depuis plusieurs années.”

NL » Aan een hels tempo

Op amper enkele maanden tijd veroverde de 22-jarige Lewis Hamilton een plaats in de top van het Formule 1-kampioenschap, met een recordaantal podiumplaatsen. In zijn eerste seizoen kon hij zich al meteen meten met de gevestigde waarden, waaronder ook zijn eigen McLarenteamgenoot Fernando Alonso. Ook Hamilton moet verbaasd zijn geweest…

“Het is nogal vreemd, en ik moet mezelf soms knijpen om zeker te zijn dat het geen droom is”, vertelt hij. “Gelukkig voor mij schoot ik niet ineens naar de top.” Zijn succesverhaal begon eigenlijk al heel vroeg. In zijn geboorteplaats Stevenage spaarde vader Anthony kosten noch moeite om zijn zoon een kans te geven. Zo had hij drie jobs om de opleiding en extra lessen van zijn zoon te betalen.

Als 11-jarig kartingfenomeen vertelde Hamilton McLaren-baas Ron Dennis tijdens een prijsuitreiking dat hij ooit voor diens team zou willen rijden. Dennis was zo onder de indruk dat hij Hamilton al van in die begindagen sponsorde.

Tijdens de Grand Prix van Monaco in mei moest Hamilton genoegen nemen met de tweede plaats, na Alonso. Maar voor hem is racen aan de zijde van een tweevoudige wereldkampioen een uitstekende leerschool. Door de maturiteit en het vertrouwen dat hij uitstraalt, schrijft de pers hem alvast een schitterende carrière toe. Maar voorlopig is het Hamilton gewoon om de zeges te doen. “Dat is mijn job, daarom ben ik hier en ik bereid me er al jaren op voor.”

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