SERENA WILLIAMS: Hey, Lewis.

LEWIS HAMILTON: Hey, Serena. I just saw a picture of you plucking your eyebrows [on Instagram].

WILLIAMS: I just saw a picture of you in a Santa suit. [laughs] I know how tedious it is to constantly be asked the same questions, so I tried to think a bit outside the box. One thing I want to focus on is what I call “creating a champion.” There are a lot of elements that go into creating a champion, among them the ability to confront your fears. I’ve seen you race. Do you have … any fears?

HAMILTON: In my sport, I don’t. I don’t know what it is about me. When I was younger, my dad used to go, “Is he really mine? Because this kid’s crazy. He’s not scared of doing anything that comes in conjunction with adrenaline.” I don’t know if you’ve ever been skiing, but if you go to the slope you’ll see all these kids fearlessly zooming by. It’s only when we get older that fear creeps in. But for me, it just never has. And when it comes to racing, it’s always about who is willing to go further, who is willing to take that extra step. I’m willing to take any amount of pain to win. I’m hungry like you. There are fears I have outside of racing, though, like spiders. When I’m in Australia, I check under the toilet seat. And more than anything, I fear not being as great as I know I can be.

WILLIAMS: Our sports are very different. I’m not out there putting my life on the line. Do you feel like you’re recognized as a great athlete, or do you feel overlooked?

HAMILTON: I’m constantly watching my weight for my job, and I’ve trained so hard this year to be ready for this season-more rigorously than ever—but people who tune in to Formula One have no comprehension of what we have to do to be fit. It’s so physical. This year, the car is way faster than when you came to the race. And the physicality has gone up quite a lot, at least 20 to 30 percent. People don’t see that. They don’t see us as athletes. They just see us driving.

WILLIAMS: I need to see you on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

HAMILTON: I’m working on it!

WILLIAMS: Do you remember how it felt the first time you won a professional race?

HAMILTON: Yeah, it was in Montreal in 2007. I remember looking down from the podium and seeing my dad, and the smile on his face from ear to ear. He was the proudest person. I felt like I’d finally done everything he’d hoped and expected of me. As a kid, there was a lot of pressure on me—like it was for you guys. My dad wanted me to have a better life than he had ever had. He wanted us to succeed so badly. And I never wanted to let him down. So to finally get up on that podium was really magical.