Chennai city's speed limits went soaring last week as one of the world's fastest men behind the wheels zipped through the city. Well, not through the city technically, but through the city's one and only race track that it's is proud of. The man (boy would be a more appropriate term for he looked nothing like 25) was Lewis Hamilton, F1's 2008 World Champion and a promising contender for this year's championship and years to come.
Brought to Chennai by Vodafone, this Maclaren's star was a charmer on track and off it. Right from the moment he waved from the chopper that made sure he wouldn't have to put his skills to the test in the famous Chennai traffic, Hamilton had the crowd in a frenzy. With a simple anglicised Vanakkam , he had every Chennaiite's heart racing, even before the Mercedes SL63 AMG's , that he was due to drive.
Before he was set to take the wheels and hit the track, VJ Nikhil Chinnappa got confessions out of Hamilton: that he's been to India thrice, and loved it every time; he and his girlfriend Nicole love Indian food; that he'll be back next year along with her for the F1 in Delhi; that his girlfriend is the best pit girl and that she says ‘hi'.
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After this, Hamilton was all set with his trademark yellow helmet and set the engines of the Mercedes AMG racing, that played like music to every racing and non-racing fan. The winners of the Vodafone contest were waiting in line excitedly for their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – to be taken on a ride by Hamilton himself.
Once in the car, he was in his element skilfully burning rubber performing ‘donuts', which kicked up a cloud of smoke, and from which his car would zip through, giving it an ethereal feel. . It's at moments like these that you realise what an art driving is.
“I really enjoyed driving on this track. All the more when the people seated beside me were screaming,” he said playfully. More on the track: “It is pretty good. I would love to drive a race car here.”
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Actor Vikram, who was one of the lucky people to have been taken on a ride by Hamilton, said how Hamilton was casually talking about races and Nicole, while doing 180 km on the track.
When meeting him off the track, we realise that it isn't just on track, but off it too he is as casual and earnest.
“I am really scared of choppers. I always sit by the window wondering how will I escape if something happens,” he said of his aerial experience. Here some bytes from his interview…
On his aggressive driving style: “I am still evolving as a driver. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.”
On his youth days: “I was quite an athlete as a youngster. I was an aggressive footballer as well; I would always go for it. I used to play the centre mid-field position. I had no fear then. I would go up to professional racers and tell them ‘one day I am going to take your seat!' That was when I met my dream team Maclaren's manager and got his number. He asked me to call him in nine years but, as luck would have it, it was he who called me back in three years asking me to drive for him!”
On team-mate Jenson Button: “As a kid I knew his father better, as he used to supply engines to my dad. We used to look up to him then. Now he makes a great team-mate. I have learnt a lot from his career and even minor things like handling the media. Jenson is more relaxed than I am.”
On Karun Chandok: “He has been performing well. He is still young and has got a great future ahead of him. I just hope he gets a better opportunity with a better car.”
On fitness: “ In racing, the g-force is lateral. Hence the training is designed differently. There's a lot of pressure on the neck. So during training we work on building its strength and arms too.”
On F1 in India: “India has really embraced F1 and is ready for it. It's been long overdue. Am sure the Indian F1 will be spectacular. It's the fans who make up the event and there's no doubt about it here.”
On F1 versus cricket: “It'll be fun to have a cricket match in the middle of a racing circuit,” he joked. He then added seriously, “I don't see why people shouldn't continue playing cricket and take up racing. Looking at it this way; now they have one more thing to aspire to be.”
That statement was sure to come true as those who turned up for the event returned full of love either for the sport or the man himself, spelling success both ways.
Winning moment
Pawan Kumar, 30, could only see hazy green, blue and grey out the window. What else do you expect when you are being driven around a race track at 180 km by Lewis Hamilton himself?
But the experience itself wasn't hazy. It still remains fresh in his memory and will for ever more because opportunities, or rather dreams, like these don't come true ever so often.
This marketing professional who works for a job portal, was one of the 10 lucky winners of the Vodafone contest who won the hot laps with the man himself. “When I first heard that I was one of the 10 winners, I thought it was a prank. Only when I received the e-mail confirmation did it actually sink in. I was very excited.”
On his experience of being taken for a spin by Lewis Hamilton, he says, “It was fantastic. In the car we had a brief chat about the current season and about the Chennai track. In fact, he was the one who started the conversation. It's one of the best days of my life.”
To make his experience complete, this F1 fan got his helmet and cap autographed by Hamilton. That for sure will be one of his prized possessions.
“It is pretty good. I would love to drive a race car here.