Lewis, you've won the most spectacular world championship ever - you must be in a total daze.
"The last two laps were the toughest two laps of my entire career because the stakes were just so high. I was pushing and pushing to close the gap to Sebastian but it wasn't easy because my car wasn't feeling great: I had no rear tyres left, so I just couldn't get close enough.
"Then, as I was in Turn 10, the team told me over the radio that Timo was just ahead and was struggling on dry tyres. Through Turn 11 I saw Sebastian pass him and, just as Timo was about to turn in, I dived down the inside and made it through. It felt like ages to hear from the team - but they came on the radio line after I crossed the finish line to tell me I was world champion. I was exhausted but ecstatic."
What was the party like on Sunday night?
"It was a fantastic night for the whole team. I walked into the party as the DJ played the theme from Star Wars and it all rolled on from there. I remember partying hard last year but this time I took it a bit more easily. I didn't want to lose this feeling, and it meant I could take everything in until the end of the evening. By the end, the DJ was playing ‘We Are The Champions' by Queen and I can remember everyone - the mechanics, engineers, catering people, even the bosses - singing along. You can't put into words how happy you've made everyone. They've put in so much work along the way that they needed that night to bring everything to a close. After seeing that, I knew I was ready for bed. I'd learned my lesson from last year!"
And then you woke up on Monday morning - that must have been a fantastic feeling.
"Yeah, fantastic - absolutely fantastic. It doesn't really sink in straight away - but then it hits you again and again: ‘Wow, you are world champion!' It's a cool feeling."
It's a little early, but have you started thinking about next year yet?
"Well, I won't have number 22 on my car next year, I'll have the number one - and that's the coolest thing ever. And I want to have an even stronger season next year: I want to train hard over the winter, I really want to be at the peak of my fitness when we turn up in Australia next year. But I want to move everything forwards - and I think I've learnt plenty over the last two years that will allow me to build and learn from my experiences. You learn from your mistakes and I want to continue to grow as a driver. I would like to have the most complete season of my career next year."
