How to be an F1 Driver

My very first motorhome, a thing of intense beauty. Note the leopard-skin interior theme and sink right next to the bed. A paradise.

Little Missy, my boat, which put me in debt. Good times.

Don’t call it a comeback. Monaco 2017 on one of my favourite circuits. Site of my very last overtake in Formula 1, against Lewis Hamilton. This is the MCL32 on track during qualifying.

This is BAR-Honda driver Anthony Davidson in 2004 at Monza, in a car that perfectly shows What it’s like to sit, or lie, in an F1 car.

Sitting pretty in Brazil in 2009 with the rest of team Brawn, complete with terrifying head covering before the helmet-hat goes on.

Mister Freeze. This is the McLaren team preparing me for a practice drive in Singapore, 2010.

For a tall driver, things can get cramped – Me: ‘I can’t move my arms.’ Mechanics: ‘Do you need to?’ Me: ‘No, not really… as long as I don’t need to corner…’

Taking on the Mint 400, the gruelling off-road race in the middle of the Nevada desert. 130 miles, Mad Max style!

Driving Le Mans is like having five tequilas before lunchtime. Here I am trying and somewhat failing to get out of the car in 2018.

Mirror, signal, manoeuvre… Oh shoot! When a crash happens, you’re devastated. Not for yourself, understand, but for your mechanics, who are now probably facing an all-nighter to put the whole thing back together again. Sorry guys.

The intense weather in Brazil 2016. Wet conditions are usually perfect for me, but this was one of the few times I ever got The Fear in an F1 car.

The thing about F1 is that you’re sort of, not really, but kind of definitely, always at war with your teammate. So, it was particularly kind of Rubens to design me this t-shirt…

Simulators: it’s a love-hate relationship. On the hate side, they’re rarely accurate enough to be of much use, and the motion sickness can lead to vomit. On the upside, um, well, who doesn’t love a bit of Mario Kart?

Another Oscar-worthy performance in Tooned, with Lewis Hamilton, and chatting on the podium after the Grand Prix in Silverstone, in 2017.

The look of love.

This is how you do it – thumb right over the end when you shake, then release a tiny bit to spray. Pick out your targets and angle carefully. Melbourne, 2010, winning the Australian Grand Prix.

Always have a signature celebration ready. No.1. in Monaco, 2009.