Lewis Hamilton wears a new hat at the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team as he has been appointed the Technical Performance Consultant for Petronas Syntium - its range of premium automotive lubricant products. The newly appointed consultant grasped the opportunity with honour and said that as a driver he was just involved with the car,but now he would be privileged to be involved with what goes inside the car as well. "At Mercedes it's our aim to have the best engine,parts and driver. So,we are working very hard to make it a reality. It is like being back in the school,doing experiments. It has been an eye-opener for me. Formula One circuit is the best lab,engine is the heart and lubricant is the blood,so you can imagine how inevitable that is," said Hamilton at a promotional event in Noida. Hamilton said that when he joined Mercedes he was asked what all he could bring to the team and he himself chose this role. Hamilton,who idolises Ayrton Senna,talked about the sacrifices made by his family to make him what he is today. His father has been his driving force in realising his dreams. "As a child I always wanted to be like Senna and my father spotted that potential in me at a very early age. I was five when I picked up the braking and acceleration technique and that made my father smile. My dad used to stand on the corners and used to make me brake where the fastest drivers were braking. I will never forget that experience. My family invested their whole lives in my career. It is very important to embrace everyday and be grateful for it. We have just 24 hours to do it.'' Unfortunately,the 2008 world champion has won only one race this year,although he was at pole on eight occasions. When asked about his poor conversion rate,Hamilton said,"I don't know how to answer that question,this is a transitioning phase for me and I am still trying to figure out a lot of things. It takes a lot of time to progress and we are trying to build a foundation as team. Every time I go out,I try to get that perfect lap. This year belongs to Sebastian Vettel. With new rules coming out next season I hope there would be no absolute dominance." Hamilton has been quite vocal about his biggest rival Sebastian Vettel having a superior car,but contrary to that the Brit was all praises for the German. ''Vettel is a great driver,he is already a legend. He is right up there with Michael Schumacher. As far as I am concerned,I just want to do racing.'' ''I like to take things as they come,right now I am concentrating on Indian Grand Prix. This track is very similar to Korea and I am trying my best to optimize my lap time. This year I am here with a different team and I will try to get my best result. The experience with Mercedes has been very overwhelming and our priority is to finish 2nd on the constructor's championship,'' he added. Hamilton also extended his gratitude towards the Indian hospitality and said that he would like to visit the countryside on his next trip India. '' I am sad that this event would not feature on the 2014 calender. So much has gone into putting this track together and and it's one of the best circuits in the world. I am sure that we'll come back in 2015,'' he concluded.
