Hamilton ready for new journey

Lewis Hamilton concedes it will be tough to compete this season, but feels it is not impossible for Mercedes to battle it out at the front of the grid…

Lewis Hamilton concedes it will be tough to compete this season, but feels it is not impossible for Mercedes to battle it out at the front of the grid.

The 2008 World Champion paid his first visit to the Mercedes factory in Germany on Monday, touring the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart as well, and he wasted no time to vow to give his all to battle it out for victories.

“I live to win. That’s what I work towards every year. So that’s what we’re going to work to this year,” he said. “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 but I don’t think it’s impossible.”

Although Nico Rosberg won the Chinese GP in April, Mercedes had been trying 2012 campaign as they finished a distant fifth in the Constructors’ Championship behind Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus.

Hamilton admits he was in awe of the Mercedes staff after visiting the team’s factory in England late last year and is also confident he will “enjoy” his journey with his new colleagues.

“I’ve been to Brackley back in the early part of December. Asking lots of questions, trying to get as much involved as I can in the limited time I was there,” he said.

“It was great to see how enthusiastic everyone was, looked like there was incredible determination to turn this thing around. So that gave me a lot of motivation for my winter.”

He added: “I think this year’s going to be an interesting year, an interesting journey. 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.”