With Rosberg having an engineering background – he declined a place at
Imperial College London to study the subject – the German has been tipped by
many, including Bernie Ecclestone, the sport’s chief executive, to triumph
over his long-time friend. But Hamilton said he was bemused as to how the
idea had emerged that he lacked the intellect to compete.
“What baffles me is I don’t know who or how stories evolve about an
individual,” he said. “No one has ever seen me sit with my engineer, and
what I’ve done at McLaren to get the car to where it is. All the extra bits
I’ve helped to design.
“No one knows that I pretty much designed our steering wheel. No one sees
those kind of things. It’s strange how a perception of a driver is that he’s
massively technical and one driver’s not. Someone that’s not very technical
can’t set a car up to win championships.”
He added that he had been burying himself in reams of engineering documents,
firing off countless emails to his team, and consulting with Harvard and
Cambridge university students. As he declared himself happier than he has
ever been in a team, Hamilton said he felt his cleverness as a driver was
often overlooked.
“I definitely feel [underrated]. If you saw me at the factory, and see the
things I get involved in. There’s the steering wheel, the pedals, the seat,
the ergonomics of my cockpit. I can have a lot of input and I really like
getting involved in that sort of thing.
“Maybe in go-karts as a kid, all I did was really on my gift, and as it got
harder, harder and harder, I’ve had to rely on my fitness, I’ve had to rely
on understanding what these Harvard and Cambridge university students are
talking about.”
At a breakfast by the beach in Melbourne yesterday morning, Hamilton looked
slightly weary as he faced repeated questions about his relationship with
Rosberg, and whether it would deteriorate if, as expected, they fight for
the championship this year.
The German admitted in an interview with The Telegraph that the pair
often have “heated discussions”, but both insisted they will retain their
friendship. “We’ve known each other since we were 13, we’ve raced and won
and lost championships together,” Hamilton said. “We will remain
professional – we’re grown-ups now.”
Formula One has arrived in Australia with more uncertainty about the outcome
of the race than for years, but most teams believe that Mercedes
are heading into the season opener on Sunday as the favourites. Mercedes
were doing their utmost yesterday to rein in expectations, which have been
increasing since some impressive displays in pre-season testing.
Hamilton added: “It is a long, long year, and a long time since I won the
world championship. It feels like a long time ago.
“I’m still enjoying my life, and my family and I are in a position we never
thought we would be, coming from a one-bedroom flat in Hatfield. So we’re
embracing the opportunity, I’m embracing it.”
Aside from Red Bull’s troubles, the main focus in Melbourne has been on the
dramatic resurgence of Williams, who endured the worst season in their
history in 2013, finishing ninth. After Felipe Massa set the fastest time of
winter testing in Bahrain, and their engineering department was extensively
reshuffled, expectations for the Oxfordshire-based team have risen
massively.
The Brazilian, who looks rejuvenated after his move away from Ferrari, said:
“I feel that the team is really motivated, they want to grow, they want to
get better and they want to be back in the good times that Williams had.”