Lewis Hamilton believes his hunger to win this year's Formula One world title matches that which saw Rafael Nadal write a remarkable chapter in Wimbledon's rich history.
On the day Hamilton produced one of the greatest drives in F1 to win the British Grand Prix at a rain-soaked Silverstone 11 days ago, Nadal beat SW19 king Roger Federer in an epic men's final.
After winning five successive Wimbledon titles, the 'Fed Express' ran into the Spaniard on a day when he produced his best display on grass.
The five-set thriller that finished in the gathering gloom over London now has a place in the record books at it was the longest Wimbledon men's final at four hours and 48 minutes.
Like many others who left Silverstone at the end of the grand prix, an enthralled Hamilton listened to his radio on the way home as the two men fought out their battle.
The 23-year-old McLaren star feels it was Nadal's greater hunger to win that saw him home, a facet of the tennis ace's character he can easily identify with.
After missing out on the world title by a point last season, that hunger to go one step further this year is driving on Hamilton.
"Listening to that Wimbledon final on the way home, it made it just a great weekend, one I will always remember," said Hamilton, still basking in the success of his race win on home soil.
"I thought Federer was going to win. I'm not biased when I say that just because I know him and he is a great guy, a fantastic athlete who has achieved so much.
"Federer had won five times in a row, and he was going for his sixth.
"That is incredible, a bit like Michael Schumacher in many respects as he was someone who had the same determination, the same hunger to win again and again and again.
"But Nadal had something new - he had even more hunger, and I think it is impossible to match that once you have done something a lot of times.
"Nadal had never tasted it, and for me I can probably identify with his hunger to win that first title.
"But that hunger within me is definitely greater this year after what happened to me last year.
"But then I've had that hunger since I was five or six years old. It's always been there, and always will be.
"Next year I know I'm going to be even more hungry to win at Monaco and Silverstone, and that's a positive thing for me."
At the halfway stage of the year Hamilton heads into this weekend's German Grand Prix in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Ferrari duo Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, but ahead on countback.
Hamilton now has to put the euphoria of his British triumph out of his mind and solely focus on the remaining nine races and winning the title.
"It was an amazing weekend, or an amazing Sunday at least," reflected Hamilton.
"I'm not going to say it came as a surprise, but it's something I have worked hard for and was hoping for.
"It's going to be difficult to cap that. It was a special weekend for me, something I can carry with me for the rest of my life.
"But I'm going to have to put it to the back of my mind because there are still nine races and the championship to keep pushing for.
"We are just going to focus on trying to build up some momentum and consistency."
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