Hamilton visits Stuttgart

22/01/2013

While the F1 media focussed on Mercedes recruitment of Williams Chief Executive Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton was visiting the Stuttgart HQ of his new employers.

On what was essentially his first day in Mercedes colours, in addition to spending time at the AMG factory, where he met fellow workers, Lewis visited the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart where he got up close to some of the legendary machines with which the German manufacturer once dominated the sport.

"I live to win," he said. "That's what I work towards every year. So that's what we're going to work to this year.

"Of course it's going to be tough to compete, to beat the guys that are already at the front like the Red Bulls and the Ferraris and McLarens," he admitted, "but I don't think it's impossible."

Though he visited the team's Brackley HQ in December, this was the Englishman's first official engagement with the team.

"I think this year's going to be an interesting year, an interesting journey," he said. "'Learning and getting to know new people and working with new people is always a massive challenge so that's first and foremost one of the biggest challenges I have. And after that it's trying to succeed, trying to extract the most out of them and vice-versa. But I think it's going to be a journey that we are going to enjoy."

Asked about his new teammate, Nico Rosberg, Hamilton said: "I have a good relationship with Nico. We live in the same building. So we are next door neighbours. Just before Christmas I went around his, I didn't have any food in the house so I went up and his girlfriend cooked for us.

"I was teammates with him many, many years ago when we were actually part of AMG, we were sponsored by AMG in karting. I have known Nico for many years and I am really looking forward to working with firstly a great guy but also a great talent."

And as for his new boss, Toto Wolff: "I have met Toto a couple of times at the races but seems a really pleasant guy and I welcome him into the team and look forward to working with him. Obviously his goal is now the same as mine as everyone else's in the team so I look forward to the journey!"

Having missed out on the orange McLaren F1 Ron Dennis had promised him should he win three titles with the Woking outfit, Hamilton was clearly impressed with the SLS Black Series. Tweeting a picture of the 6.3 litre V8 monsters, he admitted… "This car is one bad ass motha!"

Check out our gallery, here.

Film of Lewis' visit to the Mercedes-AMG factory can be found, here, while film of Lewis' visit to the Mercedes-Benz museum can be found, here.