High-flying Lewis Hamilton insists he is still grounded

Lewis Hamilton spent the off-season crisscrossing the globe to party with A-list celebrities but Formula One’s reigning champion is adamant there will be no hangover when he returns to work at this week’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The bookmakers’ favourite to win a third successive title with Mercedes, Hamilton will arrive in Melbourne after a whirlwind trip to New Zealand where he took to the skies in a helicopter yesterday above the mountain resort of Queenstown.

Hamilton’s frequent flying and party lifestyle prompted some pundits to voice concerns about his focus and energy ahead of Sunday’s race at Albert Park.