↑ Max and Lando meeting in 2013 , back in their karting days . Ten years later they were 1-2 here at the Grand Prix ! © FIA
‘ I ’ ve always enjoyed my moments ,’ he said . ‘ I have my times when I ’ m happy with what I ’ m able to go out and do . I ’ m just one of those guys who isn ’ t happy when I know I ’ ve not done the job I ’ m capable of doing . And today shows what I ’ m capable of doing . I think all year I ’ ve done a very good job . And I ’ ve worked hard and I ’ ve eliminated a lot of my weaknesses . But I ’ m still going to be that guy . I don ’ t think that ’ s going to change . I ’ m still going to be glass-half-full because that ’ s what works for me . That ’ s my mindset . Everyone has their own way of doing things , their own approach , their own way that they talk to themselves and think of how can I approach today ? How can I go out and do the best job ? For me , it ’ s talking down at myself and kind of putting myself down , because for me that ’ s what works and I ’ m fine with that . I don ’ t need other people to be happy with it and for other people to agree with it . It ’ s what ’ s best for me and it ’ s what works best . It ’ s what ’ s made me who I am , and I think that ’ s my best way of going forward . So I ’ m going to have my days when the glass is full and I can be happy and I ’ m proud of myself . Everyone ’ s going to have those days and everyone should have those days . But in order to make myself the best man , the best driver , I have my way of doing things and I stick to that .’
End of story . So now on to that Russian near-miss where pole-man Lando led by 25 seconds as the rain came down and where he aquaplaned off the track , still on slicks , with just 2 laps to go on a by now sodden circuit .
‘ Russia ’ 21 was a very , very different situation to today ,’ he said that evening in Miami . ‘ A lot of people talk nonsense about Sochi and the things which went on . And yes , I did lose out on a victory . A lot of people doubted I could win races . But this year I wasn ’ t thinking of those things . Probably last year , I would have thought of them . I ’ ve felt more confident and focused than ever . I ’ m fast and I ’ m executing things exactly how I want to . I ’ ve improved on a lot of my weaknesses and all that hard work has paid off .’
The weight of the no-wins monkey is off his shoulders , especially as friends Carlos Sainz and George Russell had already joined the F1 ® winners ’ elite .
‘ To get that first victory is always incredible . I ’ ve had my moments where we ’ ve been close , and I ’ ve never been able to convert it into the win . But I wasn ’ t worried . I knew my time was coming .’
Now that he has emerged from Lewis Hamilton ’ s shadow , Lando ’ s huge army of fans will be hoping to see his time come again , on home soil this weekend . •
“ It ’ s just nice to show people what I ’ m capable of ”
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