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F1 video: Hamilton reveals all

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton talks family, racing nerves and dealing with his celebrity status in an exclusive interview with Sir David Frost (DF). The Formula 1 driver gave Frost extraordinary insights into his home life, growing up, and the break-up of his parents’ marriage.

The video is spiked with interviews when Hamilton was still kart, with his father and with rare images of his mom.

Watch the video

He discusses his love of speed, his entry into racing and F1, becoming World champion and the impact that has had on his life. 

GROWING UP

Hamilton (LH) discussed his early life and the split of his parents` marriage: "Growing up, it was not that easy to, and still today, actually split yourself between two families. It’s never been that easy." Lewis talks about how special his step mother Linda is – but that his real mother Carmen is and "will always be that special woman in my life."

FATHER AND FORMER MANAGER

DF: "Tell us about your father and former manager Anthony?"

LH: "I wouldn’t be here without my dad. He's been the driving force in my whole career."

He said his dad even encouraged him to "never give up" when he went in the boxing ring and fought a boy twice his size.

DF: "Why did you drop your father as your manager?"

LH: "I wanted to go back to the time where we were just father and son, go karting you know.  Having fun. Enjoying, enjoying ourselves. We’re now starting to have that father-son relationship, where you know we go bowling together.  We go on holiday together and we have more to talk about and none of it’s business." 

RACING NERVES

LH: "This whole trying to control your nerves is such a challenge, even today I still have nerves.  If I don’t have those nerves, it means I’m not prepared. " 

DF: "Tell us about at the 2008 Brazilian GP, where only a daredevil overtake on the last lap earned you the extra point needed to become World champion."

LH: "I was just very, very lucky… I overtook him with 17 seconds to go, so I was very, very lucky.  Very fortunate."

STEPPING INTO THE LIMELIGHT

DF: "Your championship title earned you quite a bit of fame. How do you feel about your celebrity status?"

LH: "My life just completely just turned.  My world turned upside down.  People were all of a sudden interested in me." 

DANGERS OF F1

DF: "Danger is part of F1, how do you feel about the risk-factor?"

LH: "It definitely is dangerous and I’m glad that it still has that danger factor to it, because that’s what makes it so exciting.   That’s what separates us from you know any other sport."
 
MERCEDES - MCLAREN SWITCH

DF: "Tell us about your move to Mercedes?"

LH: "I’ve been a part of that family for such a long period of time, since I was 13. To think about leaving there, it’s like leaving home, and it’s not easy to leave your home. Home cooking and people that you know.  People you're comfortable with.  So making that choice was pretty tough."

"I can honestly say I feel just so invigorated. So It’s so refreshing to be somewhere new."

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn tells Frost about attracting Lewis to join the team: "When the time comes that you're going to change a driver, you start to look at the best that’s available. It was an obvious objective to try and get Lewis to drive for the team." 
 
SECOND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

DF: "What about earning a second world championship?"

LH: "I hope there's a World Championship somewhere ahead.  That’s what I’m working for every year, that’s why I train so much over the winter. That’s why I wake up every day and train. That’s why I put so much effort into travelling and that’s why you sacrifice so many small things, certain things in your life, and so you know I hope at some stage I get that second World championship."
 
"I’m glad there is still plenty for me to learn. There are still better ways that I can communicate with people. There are still better ways that I can manage relationships. There are still better ways that I can behave."
 
ON FATHERHOOD

DF:  "And obviously there are other excitements in store, like children. You'd like to have children presumably?"
LH: "Yeah, definitely. I love kids. I love kids."



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