racing mindset Quotes

Humans are built for endurance, not speed. We're awful sprinters compared to every other animal. We try to run our races as if they were speed races, but they are not. They're endurance races. Even a marathon, the way it's run now, it's not an endurance contest.

When I get in the car I love my wife and kids more than anything, but I'm not thinking about that side of things. I'm thinking about the car, I'm thinking about the race and I'm thinking about how to make the car faster.

It's easy to get into the competition of F1, and you are never going to win every race even though you want to. So when you're not winning, you want to win, so you're not that happy. But you have to look at the big perspective, and I am very fortunate to be one of 22 in the world to do this.

It's not too good to have this attitude in F1. It could be a disadvantage.

When I run a race, I, maybe inadvertently or unknowingly, concern myself with whether the fan was entertained or got what he expected or whether they got what I think they deserved out of me and out of the race.

When I race, I don't think about it; it just happens.

I just enjoy it and drive as fast I can. But so many people think your psychology is such a massive thing. For me, it's not necessary.

I've lived an amazing life. There's no reason to focus on the bad. They teach you that in racing school. Keep your eye where you want your front tire to be. You don't want to be stuck in the rut? Then don't look at the rut. Always look at where you want to go.

I'm good at separating my personal life from racing. When I'm at track, it's race time; when I'm away from it, other than the fact I'm training to be fit for it, there is nothing at home that makes me even want to think about racing. I just want to enjoy my life, and by the time the next race comes around, I'm ready and excited for it.

I have always been very calm on the outside. I'm not too stressed now just because I'm in formula one. For me, tomorrow will be another day whether I finish first or last. I have to do the maximum and I cannot ask any more from myself.

When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.

The first thing I said to Chase Elliott when I was in Iowa at a same race as him, I told him, and he was humble as his father is humble, I said, 'Look, you can't be happy just to be here. Don't be saying, I can't believe I'm here. You're here because you're good. You've got to go out now and win.' I always tell young guys that.

All these nice people saying I'm going to be world champion won't make me any faster, you have to believe it yourself.

I race to win. If I am on the bike or in a car it will always be the same.

I don't know if you've ever been skiing, but if you go to the slope you'll see all these kids fearlessly zooming by. It's only when we get older that fear creeps in. But for me, it just never has. And when it comes to racing, it's always about who is willing to go further, who is willing to take that extra step. I'm willing to take any amount of pain to win. I'm hungry like you.

The preparation, commitment and desire to win will be no less than the last time I drove a grand prix car in anger.

If you don't come walking back to the pits every once in a while holding a steering wheel in your hands, you're not trying hard enough

I don't mind to compete, the age doesn't matter I think, you still have to brake and turn the wheels like everybody else has to, we're all running the same car so I have nothing to lose really.

If I get into a car on a circuit, I drive as fast as I can; that's it!

My dad always told me you have to be as quick as you can straight away out of the box. Some people say, 'Feel your way into it; build it up.' No. My dad would say, 'Straight away, you have to be there.' And I think that helps to warm up your tyres and brakes to be on it a bit more from lap one.

At the end of the day, I'm riding a little kid's bike around a track; that's what I've done for as long as I can remember. Now it's just on a bigger stage at the Olympics.

She was my rain. She was my unpredictable element. She was my fear. But a racer should not be afraid of rain; a racer should embrace the rain.

I'm lucky because I don't feel too much pressure - it's only in the last hour before the race, and even then it's good, positive pressure.

Touring is really about being on edge the whole time - you're like a racing horse: you've just got to be on. You've got to pull it together.

You always have to believe in yourself, and I had that from karting.