Lewis Hamilton talks Mercedes, Melbourne and mutts

Shades of glory: Hamilton will hope for a positive start to his Mercedes career in Melbourne this weekend (Picture: Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton will makes his competitive debut for new team Mercedes in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at the weekend. We caught up with the Briton Down Under to find out how he was feeling ahead of his new challenge…
You announced you were leaving McLaren last September but has it taken you until now, arriving in Melbourne with Mercedes, to fully realise this is the start of a new era?
I’ve known it from the get-go and it’s such a great feeling. It’s so new and fresh. This is my seventh season and it’s crazy to think it’s gone so quick. My first grand prix feels like yesterday. I’m still enjoying it and with this new challenge, I couldn’t be happier.
Do you have a plan for how you’re going to settle into Mercedes?
I don’t. Obviously I’ve come into new teams before, from Formula Renault to Formula 3 and GP2 to F1. You’ve just got to be a sponge because there’s so much information to take in, from learning the names of the whole crew, the different technical terms they use and their different approach. It feels like I’m going the right route and settling in. It’s probably going to take the rest of the year to get to know everyone and feel like a fully-fledged member of the team, though.