Lewis Hamilton: My Story. Lewis Hamilton

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СКАЧАТЬ travelling all the time; packing bags, grabbing them and taking them with you; going to functions, meeting people; the crowds, the heavy schedule – all take their toll on your energy and strength after a while. So it is important to stay calm when you can and not to waste energy.

      I have a special source of extra motivation. For me, even when I am feeling pretty stretched, rushing around in the middle of a Formula One weekend and surrounded by people who want a bit of my time – and with what feels like a thousand things to do – I only have to think of one person to keep me feeling motivated and to put a smile on my face: my brother Nicolas. I remember Linda, my step-mum, being pregnant with Nic. I remember him being born and that I would just go and sit next to him and watch him. I had prayed to have a brother and was so happy when he came into the world. It really meant a lot to me, in my childhood, to have a brother. And it still does.

      Nic was born two months early and it was a long time after his birth – I think nearly eighteen months – before he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He was still the same Nic to us and we loved him whatever. Nic has trouble walking, and this affects his whole body to a point, but he never complains. He always has a smile on his face whatever the situation.

      I remember when Nic was four he had to have an operation on his legs to extend the tendons so as to increase his mobility. The operation was a major one and very distressing. Nic had to have cuts in his groin, behind his knees, and in his ankles. He was in plaster for about eight weeks. I was only eleven and heavily into my karting by then, going to race tracks at weekends and having a great time. We always went to every race as a family – Linda, Nic, my dad and me. Nic was let out of hospital after about a week and they gave him this little wheelchair. As soon as he was released, Nic was back on the racing circuit with us, his legs stretched out straight in front of him and plastered up to the groin. The whole operation period was a very traumatic time for us all, in particular Nic, who, when the time came to take off his plaster casts, thought the doctors were going to cut his legs off. I remember he cried his eyes out but it wasn’t long before that smile came back to his face. That smile – it is infectious and inspirational. It taught me a lot about life. Nic has always been my number one fan and I am his.

      I just hope that by writing about him, he doesn’t get too big-headed because, if he does, I will have to make sure he soon forgets it! He is such a character, so grounded too, and he is always cheerful and happy. He has big respect from me and all who know him. Nic is seven years younger than me and because of that, I sometimes feel like I have to teach him things, like my dad did for me. But most of the time, I am learning stuff from him.

      Nic is now fifteen and, if anything, we are even closer. I love spending time with him. We enjoy the same sort of things, the same sort of music. As he gets older, it’s good to be able to talk about girls with him! It won’t be long before we can go partying together – and I am dying for the time when he is old enough so we can go out to a club or just do our own thing. That is going to be so cool.

      It is rare for me during the season to get a decent period of time at my parents’ home to spend with Nic but we did have a few this year. After the Turkish Grand Prix, for example, and before I had to travel to Italy, I went home to my parents’ house in Hertfordshire. The weather was great, Nic was there and we had fun doing all kinds of things together.

      We played golf one day, for example. Nic finds it extremely difficult to stand still and balance in one place; add to that the fact that he is also left-handed, which does not help his swing. Even though he shouldn’t be able to, Nic still attempts to play football, basketball, almost everything. He just never gives up and always puts 100 per cent effort into trying something even if he knows it’s too much for him. Nic gets out of life what he puts into life and that must give him a huge amount of satisfaction. I know that he cannot do things as well as me but he has a real good go at it and makes me work even harder to make sure I beat him. ‘Never let him have it easy,’ is what my dad always said, just so that he would try harder. I am lucky in that I am good at most sports, but for Nic it must be really difficult. Either way, he always puts a smile on my face – although occasionally he can be quite argumentative. He reminds me of myself!

      I often try to imagine myself in Nic’s position. I do not think I would be anywhere near as strong as him. There’s just so much to admire in him. So, whatever I am doing, I say to myself, ‘If you think it’s hard to do this, then think again.’ I think about Nic’s strength of character and that gives me added strength. So Nic is my inspiration – and that helps me a lot. But, in fact, my whole family are very close. We do everything we can together, and we always have done, but as I grow older and become more independent each year, I know that is probably going to change a bit – but not all that much. We have an intense bond and are a strong family. It helps us remain as normal as possible, to stay focused on the right things and not be distracted by all the stuff going on around us. We are a team, my family. We always have been. I like to think of my parents’ home as my power station, the place where I can go to seek support, rest and reassurance in the good things in life.

      Thanks to my family, I know it is important not to lose perspective – though at times in the past year, that has not been easy. Formula One is such a demanding and fast-moving business that it is easy to lose your own sense of direction sometimes. It can be very, very tough so you have to concentrate fully on the job in hand, prepare well and stay as level-headed and consistent as you can. If you stick to your beliefs and your true values in life, I believe things work out right in the end.

      My mum Carmen and dad Anthony divorced when I was about two and I lived with my mum until I was ten. After that I moved to live with my dad and step-mum Linda. My mum is a huge and important part of my life and has always been there in the background wishing me success from afar. My step-mum Linda has been amazing and I think she is the best step-mum in the world. I was very emotionally attached to my dad, and it was difficult only seeing him at the weekends. They were the greatest weekends – I would not have missed them for anything – but I remember when I was ten that I liked living with my mum because she was the ‘easier’ parent.

      You know with parents when you have the easy one and the demanding one? Well, she was the easier one. I’ve been extremely lucky: both my mum and Linda are incredibly considerate, very caring and generous, and fun-loving.

      A huge part of my personality – the emotional side, I would say – comes from both my mums. Even though my dad always told me, ‘You have to be polite,’ that was already in my nature. I would say my stronger, more competitive side comes from my dad. My selfishness, my focus, my determination, my ability to put things out of my mind, the way I say things and express myself, present myself well, and everything that gives people their perception of you – that all comes from, and has been driven by, my dad.

      For example, my approach to things is: do not waver, do not give up. My dad reminds me of that nearly every single day and I am always aware of how much work we have put in to get where we are today – and how much more work he expects me to do in the future! He is as relentless in his own way as I am in mine and I am sure that is a part of our characters that has contributed to our achievements. We are both hard workers and we believe in the same things – honesty, loyalty and trust – and we both have a never-say-die attitude. Anyone who knows him will tell you that. He is my biggest supporter, and a fantastic father, without whom I may not have even discovered I had any talent for racing! And he is a big reason – really the absolute reason – that I have been able to develop myself as a racing driver, and, probably more importantly, as a human being.

      I am very close to my roots – to my father’s family in Grenada, West Indies, where my real home is, and to the Grenadian people. My granddad lives in Grenada and drives a private minibus. His passengers are predominantly school children but my granddad will give just about anyone a lift. He is supposed to charge per ride but he just loves his job so much that sometimes he allows some passengers to ride for free. All the kids love him and out of respect they call him ‘Uncle Dave’, although his real СКАЧАТЬ