I remember my first test in F1. After five laps, I came back to the pits and tried to play it cool - 'Oh yeah, I'm fine, I'm on top of this' - but I was completely lost.

It's just fantastic to feel the speed and the braking. It was a hard work - to hold an f1 car on the circuit is a job in itself. To drive quickly is another thing. I enjoyed it.

If you are out in two races and someone else has a good couple of races, it could change. So all we do is try to get the optimum every time.

Generally I don't care about what people say. I have to be clear with myself. When everything goes well, people celebrate you, when you make mistakes people criticize you.

I was quite emotional when I finished my lap, but had to wait for other drivers to cross the line to hear whether I'd actually done it. It feels very special, but I acknowledge that the old master, Nigel Mansell, took his 14 poles from only 16 races.

Never lift. Never stop believing.

What I admire is people who are grounded and resistant to all kinds of whisperings. Kimi Raikkonen, for example. You may like him or not, but he lives his way. He does the things he has identified as worthy for him and he is not trying to be everybody’s darling. At least he doesn’t give that impression. He is straightforward and honest and he tells you if he has a bad day. Period. He is real. He’s not political. He’s never up to something. If he doesn’t want to tell you something he will say so and not hum and haw. He doesn’t beat around the bush, never coming to the point.