I've definitely got better over the years at conserving my energy in pre-season - at knowing what to focus on and what to let go.

I top up my endurance with running and cycling because in a race, your heart rate is up at 150, so we have to train at that level.

People have seen now I am a racer, and I have big intentions in the sport, and I am prepared to get my shoulders out if I need to.

Being an F1 driver is a crazy job but not what everyone expects. My year consists of 20% driving and 80% media, marketing, and travel.

I know people fear me when they see me in their mirrors. It's a good position to be in because they know they need to defend to the limit.

Normally, if I don't qualify as well as I think I can, I seem to carry a little chip on my shoulder for the race, and that normally helps me out.

I like having as many team-mates as possible. It's great, because the more people you can learn off, the better I think it will make you as a driver.

I signed a dog collar. Someone gave me their dog - a live dog - and I signed its collar. When they handed me the dog, I didn't know what to do. That was weird.

In racing, things start coming up quicker, and the slipstream is stronger, so even judging in the mirrors how quick the cars are approaching isn't always easy.

For my family, it was quite emotional because it has always been a dream of mine to be in Formula 1. For them, to see it come true was quite a special feeling.

Back in 2014, I felt like I was ready to win a world title. I felt like I was prepared and I was as good as anyone else, but I knew I didn't have the equipment.

Because of my schedule and dietary requirements, I don't party a lot, but when I can let my hair down, I will; I think that's healthy. I love a weekend in Vegas.

When I joined Formula One, I knew that what I found is that the cars are so much faster, and it took me a little while to understand where to always put the car.

I don't see my family often enough, but when we do catch up, it's somewhere new in the world. They get to travel more than they would if I wasn't doing this sport.

I feel like even if I was to, say, trip and fall over on the way to the car and scratch all my arm, by the time I got in the car, it would be blacked out in my head.

When I came into Red Bull, everyone thought, 'He's just the happy, nice guy; he's fast, but he can't race hard with these top guys.' That was a reputation I had to dismiss.

2014 is a year I'll remember for a long time - it was definitely a breakthrough in my mind as well. Standing on the top step of the podium a few times was icing on the cake.

I enjoyed physical education and lunch time. The social aspect of school was great, but as soon as I left school, I wanted to get out there and race. I couldn't sit still for long.

I was fascinated by racing as a kid, but no way would I have thought I'd make it into Formula One from here, from being from Perth, racing on little local go-kart tracks, you know.

I'm sure everyone has a cool story behind how they got into Formula One, but, for me, Perth, you know, not only in Australia is it detached, but it's detached from the whole world.

On a bad day, I'll still have a conscious thing in my mind reminding me that what I think of as a bad day is still a very good day in probably 90% of the world's population's eyes.

Since I got to F1, and especially since I got to Red Bull Racing, I said, 'I don't want to have any regrets. I've got a chance now in a top team. I want to leave it all on the table.'

I'd prefer no practices and just Saturday, Sunday. Just qualify Saturday morning, race Saturday afternoon, and race again Sunday. Less laps of nonsense and more laps of meaningful business.

I try to send out a good message - I sometimes get asked for advice for leaving home and trying to 'make it' overseas. I would always say think long term, and think bigger picture: make the sacrifice.

As far as the outside things goes with Red Bull - I like the brand a lot, and obviously, I like the team a lot. We've always been a good fit for each other, so from that side, it's all been really good.

To get the Red Bull junior drive was like a massive pressure off... I didn't have to go around asking Mum and Dad to sell their house or ask friends for funding. The instant feeling was, 'Oh wow, amazing.'

I would like it to be remembered; I would love to be World Champion one day and have my name on the list. That is the real dream - although I am sure it is the dream for pretty much all the Formula 1 drivers.

People might call me a liar for this, but I want a fast teammate, I think for two reasons: it's always going to get more out of yourself, and it's always going to be a more true evaluation of where you stand.

I love music which helps me get focused and keeps my thoughts away from other things. The music gets heavier as the race gets closer, and my warm up routine starts to get a bit more intense with heart rates, etc.

I feel '14 didn't just shape me and my approach from then on: it changed the level of overtaking from other guys in the sport as well. Not many people were doing that, coming from a long way back and trying big passing moves.

I know that I'll joke around to the last minute I get in the car. But once the helmet's on - it's sort of a cliche, but it's true - it's quite symbolic that that is 'go time,' and I'm ready to have some fun and be bad while I do it.

Sometimes you have a bad day, and you're like, 'I'm over this, and I just want to play tennis,' or do another sport that doesn't require any other variables, but then you have a good day, and it's like, it's amazing, and the success makes up for it.

In World Series, everything is a bit slower than F1. But each time I sit in the car, whether it is World Series or F1, once I am in the cockpit, I am mentally prepared for what the car is. I don't have to physically drive it to remember what it is doing.

Pretty much all the drivers I get on with, at least to say 'Hi' and have a conversation. But when the helmet's on, you don't care who it is. You have no sympathy: someone blows an engine in front of you, if it means you gain a position, then you're smiling.

With racing, there's not one thing you need to be really strong at, it's a combination. You need a good base of cardio, good core, good neck strength. I think core and neck are the most important, but it's certainly not my favourite. Neck training is pretty boring.

Formula One was just cool. I loved racing, all types of racing, but from a young age, Formula One was the noise and everything, and that's what I was drawn to. I already knew when I was younger, the coolest guys are in F1... not that NASCAR drivers aren't cool, but that was always what I had in my head!

I used to go to work with Dad on the weekend. We'd drive past an indoor go-kart track every now and then, and we went there a few times. I was never tall enough, so I always left upset. I think I was seven when I was the right height, and I was like, 'Please let me have a go.' It was love at first sight.

Getting past my early 20s, I feel a bit more maturity and responsibility about that stuff. You get a good feeling from doing something good. You see a kid and you make his day, you realise the power of it. Whereas before, I was like, 'That's cool, whatever.' But now, that's what I'm most appreciative of.

I think, in general, the sport's frustrating because I think it's one of only a few sports in the world where you've got so many other variables. Not taking anything away from the winner, but the best man doesn't always win. I think part of that makes the sport really exciting, and part of it makes it heartbreaking.

Good overtaking is important to me. There are a lot of quick maths involved. I will prepare from the corner before, thinking, 'If I exit this way, and the driver ahead of me is in a certain position, then I'll go for it.' If he is not where I hope he will be, then I won't pull the trigger. If he is, my decision has already been made.

I think the race went as well as it could and I drove well to finish sixth. The chassis is working better and through the corners we are more or less there; we'll move onto Europe and see if we can get further up the grid and keep improving. The weekend went pretty smooth for me until the end of the race, I don't know what happened, but the team will have a look at it.

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