“Due to the high speeds, the car generates a lot of downforce through this corner and it feels planted to the track," Hamilton says, "It's great fun, but it's vital to make a good exit because a long straight follows.”

3. 130R, Suzuka (6th gear, 295 kph, 4g)
Hamilton will have to wait until 2009 to drive a grand prix at Suzuka for the first time, but such is the track's fearsome reputation that he has included two corners from the former F1 venue on his Mobil1 'super lap'. 130R is a left-hander, so-called because it has a radius of 130 metres, and it's taken flat in top gear with the engine screaming at its 19,000rpm limit. A smooth turn in and letting the car run wide over the smooth exit kerb ensures as little speed as possible is scrubbed off.

4. Eau Rouge, Spa-Francorchamps (7th gear, 295 kph, 3.5g)
Like 130R, Eau Rouge is a section that's taken flat-out. The corner is in fact three bends, a left-right-left flick up the side of a hill, and sees Hamilton and his rivals experience both lateral and vertical g-forces. The car loses a bit of speed as it climbs the hill, but the whole section still takes only one second to complete at 305kph.

“This is one of the best corners on the calendar,” he says, “It's not difficult, but you're just excited all the way through it. As you climb up the side of the hill, there's a moment when all you can see from the cockpit is the sky. It's fantastic because you lose your stomach over the crest at the top.”

5. Tabac, Monaco (4th gear, 172 kph, 2.5g)
After a long period on full throttle, Hamilton needs to be careful not to out-brake himself on this slippery section of street circuit - where, incidentally, he clipped the barriers on his way to victory in the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix. Tabac is the slowest corner on his lap, through which the Mobil 1 oil inside his Mercedes V8 engine travels faster than the car. Slippery white lines on the exit of the turn can induce oversteer as Hamilton tries to get back on the power, making it a great test of driver skill.

“At the Monaco Grand Prix, we have maximum downforce, so the car feels planted to the ground," Hamilton reveals, "But, with the barriers so close, there is no room for error; you have to be very precise.”

6. Turn 1, Suzuka (5th gear entry, 255 kph, 3.5g)
The car accelerates quickly along the downhill run towards Suzuka's first turn. Hamilton is into seventh gear when he turns into this double-apex right, through which he has to turn, brake and change down three gears before hitting the first apex. Without changing his steering lock, he then hustles the car to the second apex, where he gets back on the power and accelerates uphill towards the exit kerb.

7. Pouhon, Spa-Francorchamps (6th gear, 260 kph, 4.5g)
The second of Spa-Francorchamps' entries on the Mobil 1 Superlap Pouhon is much like Suzuka's Turn One with its downhill approach, but Hamilton doesn't touch the brakes before he turns into this double-apex left. He has a small confidence lift, changes down one gear and then gets back on the power as soon as possible.

“You have to carry as much speed through the corner as possible,” he notes, “and that means having the guts to get back on the power as soon as possible. You have to be careful because you can't touch the kerbs.”

8. Casino Square, Monaco (3rd gear, 130 kph, 2.5g)
The casino is the most famous landmark in Monaco, and the cars pass to the left of its revolving doors as they enter Casino Square, where they are faced with a blind and bumpy right-hander. Hamilton slows his car to just over 160kph and positions it in the middle of the track for the entry but, as soon as he hits the apex kerb, he's back on the power, wary that he needs to pay attention to two bumps at the exit which induce wheelspin and make it difficult to feed in the power.

“I really enjoy driving through here,” he admits, “because one corner leads to another. There is not rest for the driver.”

9. Mergulho, Interlagos (4th gear, 175 kph, 3g)