Life is so wunderbar for happy Hamilton

2013-02-06 07:50

By (China Daily)

Nico Roserg of Germany drives the new Mercedes W04 Formula One car around the track before it's official presentation at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 4, 2013. Formula One teams start testing their 2013 cars in Jerez this week. [Photo / Agencies]

"In this car on the steering wheel I think I've got at least double the amount of buttons and switches that I had on the previous one," said Hamilton.

"I've already got rid of quite a few of the buttons as soon as I got here but I still have way more than I had before. The engineers and just the way the team works is different to what I've experienced, so it is like starting from fresh."

Hamilton said he was also getting used to different terminologies and ways of working and was making notes as he went along.

"I'm using every skill and experience I have, and I'm asking the team if there's anything else they need me to do. I'm just making myself as available as possible for any questions," he explained.

"Last night I was grilling the aerodynamicist and asking questions about the car and pushing for certain things that should be added that other people have. There's not much more I can do, apart from just keep nagging."

Asked whether he would be learning any German words to use in private conversations with the team over the car radio, despite Mercedes being British based and with fewer German speakers than some of their rivals, the Briton said.

"I know one (word), but I don't plan on using it ever," he said, before reminding himself of one that was printable: "It's wunderbar. I plan on using that as much as I can."