When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands.

Driving with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake is likely to get you nowhere but certainly will burn out vital parts of your car. Similarly cutting taxes on the middle class but increasing them on the 'rich' is likely to result in an economic burnout.

The trick at Le Mans is to get the car 'in the window.' Everything is critical: the tyre pressure the brake temperature and that means you have to push the car a lot to get it into the window - it's about getting everything to work right and getting the car to flow through the corners.

You're pulling 4-5G for a lot of the corners around the lap. We build up lactic acid because there are a lot of vibrations in the car and you have to have strong legs to hit the brake pedal. We need to be fit to do every lap at 100%.

To understand the intensity of driving an F1 car you have to be in it. When you're driving a 750hp machine at 200mph the noise and the vibrations are incredible. The G-force when you take big corners is like someone trying to rip your head off. You hit the brakes and it feels as if the skin is being pulled off your body.

There is a limit to the application of democratic methods. You can inquire of all the passengers as to what type of car they like to ride in but it is impossible to question them as to whether to apply the brakes when the train is at full speed and accident threatens.

I hooked up my accelerator pedal in my car to my brake lights. I hit the gas people behind me stop and I'm gone.