I definitely wasn't anything special when I first started but I think I adapted quite quickly into racing and it became a bit better slowly. All of cadets, the first four years of karting, I only won one proper race, one! Which was the British Open Championship at PFI and I started 21st and I won.
To be announced as a race driver for McLaren is a dream come true.
I just get annoyed at myself. A lot of swearing goes on generally when I am driving.
Growing up I've watched Lewis and aspired to have some of his attributes, mainly his speed. His raw pace is probably the best of everyone on the whole grid, so there are bits you want from different drivers.
I'm loving my role as a McLaren Young Driver, spending time in the simulator at the McLaren Technology Centre and attending some Grands Prix with the team.
I'm a fighter, I'm a winner, and I'm not interested in just battling my team-mate for the back of the grid.
I like to paint my own helmets. I design my own suit and boots, I like being unique in that way.
The biggest difference in the wet between F2 and F1 is that there's so much more power in F1 as being on the throttle earlier has a bigger advantage.
I think sim racing helps. I have improved in areas and do it whenever I need to improve. You don't feel G-force and those things are probably the biggest things, that and the fear factor which you feel when you drive. Therefore, when I go on to the track I'm better.
That's one of the biggest things. Never being home, always traveling, having different interests and focusing on different things, just the time aspect of going back home and seeing them, you don't have that at all. It was a big sacrifice but, at the end of the day, it was worth it.
I turned away from bikes when I got a bambino kart for my seventh birthday and started doing some karting, just around some cones at home, but I didn't think at that point I knew I wanted to go into F1, it was more just for fun.
I used to watch MotoGP quite a bit, I liked MotoGP. I had a motorbike before I had a go-kart and before I had a motorbike I had a quad bike but I was too dangerous, and before I did quad biking I did horse riding, so it's been a long journey.
Having the support from everyone, the bosses, whoever within the team, definitely makes it much easier for me as a driver.
I liked watching Rossi, his style, his colours and everything. He was someone I looked up to and until now he is still my only hero. He is the king of motorbikes and most people like Rossi mainly because he comes across as a pretty fun and good character. He is cool and has a good style and look.
I'm definitely more one of the drivers who would want to do Daytona, Le Mans, and the Indy 500.
In karting, you turn up and drive, look at the data and go home. But I like doing more, learning about the engines and how to make them go even better.
Even though I had won in other categories, I didn't have any expectations when I came into F1. Qualifying fifth, finishing sixth? I didn't expect it.
The McLaren prizes can only help me in my quest to ultimately reach Formula One.
I think the F2 tyres are probably one of the hardest things to adapt to, harder than the Formula One Pirellis were to get used to.
I can't remember what made my dad take us karting for the first time, I can't remember really. I was into motorsport by then and I knew everything, and every driver, it was around 2009, 2008. That's when I first properly knew about Formula One. Those were the days.
