Hamilton: "I get energy from excessive lifestyle"

Lewis Hamilton says he has no intention of easing back the intensity of his off-track lifestyle. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper asked Hamilton, the reigning triple world champion, about his supposed "rock star" life.

"I do not feel like a rock star," the Briton insisted. "I just live my life differently to most people. "It's an exciting life," Hamilton acknowledged. "Last week I was in Washington and sitting not far from the president. The next morning I was in Canada for a bit of training and some music.

"Then we went to LA, Germany, Monaco, London -- from there I flew to Colorado and on the way visited a few friends in New York."

Some, however, believe that Hamilton's jet-setting and off-track exploits - such as an album of pop music he is preparing to release - are a distraction to his core activity of focusing on being an F1 driver. Hamilton denies it.

"I see it as positive. I enjoy it. This year it has been more excessive than ever and I won almost every race and my third world championship." Asked if he needs these distractions in order to succeed, the 30-year-old replied: "Yes. What I do is important to me. I draw energy and motivation from it, for other things -- for the sport. And I feel wonderful about my life," Hamilton added.