A very elated spectator yelled ‘Lewis, beat Kimi at Monza’. ‘Im working on it’ he yelled back. A small autograph session followed. A slight rain hampered the full use of the track. We also got to learn the limits of F 1’s new wet weather master.

Hamilton slated that the Mercedes C63 saloon he was chauffeured in was not the ideal car to drive on Mumbai’s rain soaked roads. Apparently a big 450 bhp saloon on wet, Indian roads are off limits for this F1 megastars. Mere mortals, beware!

Last season Hamilton came unnoticed and was just another desperate attempt to fill the slot vacated by Kimi Raikkonen. The tale of Hamilton bears lot of striking resemblances to Lightning Mc Queen’s dream debut in the Piston Cup in Disneys Blockbuster CARS. Hamilton had a dream start to his F1 career finishing 3rd at 2007 season’s opener at Australia and even gave his more experienced peers a run for their money in his opening season itself which was nothing but spectacular.

By the end of the season he was touted to be F1’s next big thing.He has more reasons to celebrate as he has had a good start to this season,presently leading the Drivers standings.His dominating victory at his home GP in the Uk has left many calling him the next RAIN MASTER.I do know that it is too early to adorn him with such a big honour which was previously held by the legendary Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton’s Race Day Routine

* Wake up at 8am.Most races are in the afternoon,so no need to peak into the day early.

* Breakfast with trainer(no training cuz emphasis is on storing energy).

* Drink as much fluids as possible.

* Drivers’ meeting and appearances with sponsors and drivers’ parade.

* 30mins before race,time to get into race gear and relax.He listens to Bob Marley and watches TV.

* Race over 2-3kgs of liquid lost.

* 2 hours interaction with media

* Get back to hotel and freshen up

* Celebrations(if the mood is upbeat)

* Debriefing session with engineers.He gives as much feedback as possible as the info will be fresh in his mind

* Bedtime

Each week we’ll provide thoughts on the cars we’re currently driving, as well as occasional commentary on big automotive news items. We might get up on our respective soapboxes from time to time, but it shouldn’t be too painful.

Here’s a bit about us:

Perry Stern – I’m lead editor here at Autos. I’ve been on staff here for almost ten years, but have always been interested in cars. I actually wrote to Car and Driver magazine when I was 15 to ask how I become an auto writer. They never responded. I don’t have a regular daily driver – my last car was a 1988 Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo. My wife drives a Ford Explorer. I prefer high-performance cars, but I like them to have the ability to carry passengers and cargo as well. My dream car is a 2004 BMW M5. I also understand the value that a car company such as Hyundai or Suzuki brings to the table — not all cars have to have sportscar-like performance. (See my picture below — standing next to the silver Bentley.)

Mike Meredith – I’m the new guy at Autos since I have only been here six years, but my interest in cars started basically at birth. My Dad has been in the car business my whole life so there were always interesting cars around. I started working at his car dealership (on weekends and in the summer) when I was 12 (there were no child labor laws then). At about 14 he let me start driving cars around the lot, and since then I’ve been behind the wheel every chance I get. Once I finished college I went straight to the Renault Elf Winfield race driving school and have been club racing and teaching high-performance driving ever since. In 1982 I traded my T-Top Camaro with a 350 V8 and a 4-speed manual for a BMW 320i and I’ve owned many BMWs since then, all with manual transmissions. I teach at the ProFormance Racing School at Pacific Raceways near Seattle.

Eric Bellscheidt – Probably the least nutty of these “car nuts,” I too have worked on Autos for almost a decade. As associate editor I ensure we have readable content for our varied car-shopping audience, from gearheads to grannies. With a wife and two kids in tow, my preferences fall to the more practical side of automobiles: utility, safety, comfort and economy — but a middle-aged guy can also dream a little, can’t he? Our family driver is a Toyota minivan nicknamed Ayrton Sienna. (That’s me below in the blue jacket.)