Formula One 
/ Ralph Ellis / 05 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Anthony and Lewis have made their peace
"If the Australian Grand Prix was about the car – so Vettell won because his was quickest – then this week in Sepang will be much more to do with the driver."
While other stars whinge and curse, Lewis Hamilton is showing remarkable signs of maturity, says Ralph Ellis. But can he follow up his impressive performance in Australia with a win at Sepang this weekend?
I don't know about you, but I get fed up hearing about the pressure of being a superstar. People say that's why Wayne Rooney is so angry. They tell you it's why Tiger Woods can be the most surly man on a golf course. But frankly it's a lot of old nonsense.
Faced with an intrusive media, a public that wants to share every moment, and 'experts' who want to criticise your every move you can spend your time feeling resentful or you can relax, accept it's part of the price of fame and fortune, and share your life with the people who are paying your huge wages.
Encouragingly, it's a lesson that Lewis Hamilton seems to be learning. A couple of years ago you worried he was in overdrive heading towards the 'me, me, me' syndrome, but thankfully he appears to be growing up. As an example he slipped quietly into Brands Hatch at the weekend to watch younger brother Nicolas make his motor racing debut, and left little trace - apart from a lot of smiling faces.
You have to respect his enthusiasm for both his family and his sport. He had to fly 14,000 miles in between the Australian Grand Prix and Malaysia this weekend to give moral support to 19-year-old Nic, who suffers from cerebral palsy. And he hit a nice balance of not trying to hog the limelight from his kid brother, but accepting he couldn't be a recluse either and talking briefly to the media. "I am just incredibly proud. I was smiling the whole way through the race," he said.
Hamilton's enthusiasm for watching Renault Clio racing is a sign of the big moves he's made to sort his life out away from the track. He made peace with his dad while they were in the pits at Melbourne, too, and it won't do his performances any harm when he does get back behind the wheel this week.
If the Australian Grand Prix was all about the car - so Sebastian Vettell won because his was quickest - then this week in Sepang will be much more to do with the driver. Pirelli's boss Paul Hembery says the new tyres he's supplied will degrade far more quickly in the heat, so not even Sauber's rookie Mexican driver Sergio Perez, who drove Melbourne on just one change of tyres , will be able to finish in less than three pit stops. And the weather forecast says showers are probable.
Vettel's dominance - he's three wins on the bounce now including the back end of last season - means Hamilton's price has slid out to [5.9] to win in Malaysia. If he lands that he could give himself, and anybody brave enough to back him, plenty more to smile about.
Five things you might not know about Sergio Perez
1. Born January 1990 in Guadalajara, his father was a racing driver who also managed the career of Mexican Adrian Fernandez
2. He was six when he first tried go-karting and admits he cried because he was scared. Brother Antonio - now a NASCAR driver - laughed at him, as big brothers do, so he stuck with it and by the end of the day had fallen in love with driving
3. After winning karting titles in Mexico and America he moved to Germany aged 15 where he lived in a small room above a Bavarian restaurant.
4. His career has been supported by the family of Mexican Telcoms tycoon and businessman Carlos Slim, the world's richest man estimated to be worth more than 14 billion pounds
5. From a religious family, he races wearing a Jesus bracelet his grandmother gave him, and says he prays before each start "not to be safe, but to win"
James Frankland on what we know so far about the different cars ahead of the first race of the season....
You'll be able to read articles about every Grand Prix of 2011 on Betting.Betfair as well as a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute race preview when qualifying has finished. For now, here's a quick update on the latest Championship odds....
Rule changes, less durable tyres and Lewis Hamilton's battle with his ailing McLaren mean that the Formula 1 2011 season will involve all the drama and more of last year, says Ralph Ellis. That's why Sebastien Vettel is too short...
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