I'll stay with McLaren forever, vows Hamilton

Three days after claiming his maiden title with a dramatic last-lap charge in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton received a hero's welcome from the 1,000 staff employed at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey.

Hamilton said: "I'm with the team I always dreamt of driving with and when you're living your dream and you've got the car you always wanted to have, why would you need to change?

"I don't know how many years I'm going to be in Formula One. I haven't decided. Today I got in the car outside the factory and I had the biggest smile on my face.

"The day that I get in the car and I don't feel that, that will be the day I will need to retire. But I want to see my career out with this team."

Dressed in the rocket red t-shirts traditionally worn by McLaren mechanics whenever one of their drivers wins a race, they chanted "Loo-is, Loo-is" as the 23-year-old, the youngest-ever F1 champion, sped into the foyer of the high-tech building in his racing car.

Clearly moved, he said: "This is very emotional for me. To know that I'm a part of this team and to know I can make so many people happy is just a buzz for me. I'm overwhelmed.

"When I was 13 I visited McLaren's old headquarters and went into the museum there to see all the old cars.

"I'd always stop by Ayrton Senna's car, touch the steering wheel, and imagine what it would be like to be a driver like him. Since I've been coming here to the new building I've always walked down the main hall and hope I would one day have my car there with number one it.

"I guess that day has come and I'm prouder than ever.

"The thing is, we've all been through the troubles, all the trials, all the penalties, all the disappointments together. And we've risen to the top together.

"That's the mark of a true team. I'm just very proud to be a part of it all."

The measure of Hamilton's impact on sport - he is the first black driver in Formula One - has led to speculation that he will become a billionaire by the time he retires.

But flanked by his father Anthony, his stepmother Linda and his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger of the girl band Pussycat Dolls, Hamilton insisted money was not his motivation.

He said: "A billion pounds? What does that mean? What can you do with a billion pounds? The great thing is I drive for McLaren and they have the coolest car that I want. So why pay for it when I can earn it?"

That was a reference to the orange McLaren sport car parked in the hall that Hamilton has coveted since he first saw it as a youngster on the front cover of a book. McLaren chief Ron Dennis has promised he can have the keys to the ultra-rare machine, worth £5million, if he wins another two world championships.

However, Hamilton rejected calls for him to return to Britain from being a tax exile in Switzerland.

He added: "I'm happy where I am. I have a very balanced life. I don't feel anything needs to change."

Hamilton's success has made him a role model and he echoed the sentiment of America's first black president, Barack Obama, who marked his election success over John McCain last night by insisting: "Anything is possible".

Hamilton said: "I had a huge amount of respect for both candidates but I'm very happy and proud to see Obama at the front. I think it is great for the world so congratulations to him.

"Everyone saw last year that I lived my dream. It just shows that with a lot of hard work and dedication, anything is possible. But I didn't do all this on my own. It's due to my family, my dad and my mum. It's really down to them."

Hamilton learned for the first time how his sensational triumph in Brazil was watched by a horde of youngsters at a special screening put on by the Rye House Kart Stadium in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, where he first demonstrated his talent behind the wheel.

He said: "I'd love to go back and see the kids and it would be great."