Formula One: Lewis Hamilton finds sanctuary in car cockpit

LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed he is "most at peace" inside the cockpit of his Formula One McLaren racing car. Following what was initially a troubled 2009 for Hamilton and his team, the 25-year-old is relishing the forthcoming new season.

After the bitterness of the "liegate" fiasco and McLaren's wretched early-season form, Hamilton was a man and driver far from at ease.

Yet after a torrid few months, Hamilton and the team turned their year on its head, ending the season on a high with two wins and three other podiums, even if ultimately relinquishing the title he won in 2008 to new team-mate Jenson Button.

Hamilton, though, is now ready for the fight ahead, believing he is in his best shape for many years.

"Throughout the season I grew a lot as an individual. I made some mistakes, but I grew from those, learned a huge amount," assessed Hamilton.

Despite the break-up of his two-year relationship to Pussycat Dolls' singer Nicole Scherzinger, Hamilton's love of Formula One remains undiminished.

"If there's one place I could go to, it would be the car where you're able to switch off and be on your own. It's the one place I'm most at peace."