HE'S currently the speediest man on the Formula One World Championships circuit, and my bosses gave me the task to chase him down.

Fortunately for me, as lightning quick the McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton may be around a track, the 23-year-old Briton cruises in a relaxed first gear otherwise.

Catching him was a breeze. Interacting with him was sheer delight.

I didn't expect it though. From what I had read about him, many rivals and fans felt the current F1 driver standings leader was arrogant.

(Can't blame them. Hamilton has proclaimed himself as the fittest driver on the paddock, said that Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen didn't "have the balls to brake late", and that Felipe Massa, who trails him by just a point, has to "work damn hard to keep up with me.")

But, after following him around at three events over two days, you can take my word for it: Hamilton is a genuinely nice chap.

"Hi, I'm Jeanette from The Straits Times," I said, when I met him for the first time at the Hugo Boss boutique at Ngee Ann City on Tuesday.

"Hi Jeanette. Nice to meet you. How you doing?" he replied, with a warm smile and firm handshake. And this took place just hours after he stopped off a plane from Paris.

On Wednesday, we exchanged greetings for the second time when my colleague Rohit Brijnath and I had a one-on-one interview with him thanks to M1 & Vodafone. He was as pleasant as before.

Then, barely 10 minutes later at a Nescafe event, we met again. I had to go on stage to receive a signed and framed poster of him as a token of appreciation from the coffee brand.

"Oh hello again, for the third time," I said. "Don't you get sick of this?"

"Hi again. No, no problem. It's part of the job," he smiled.

Sure, some celebrities pick their moments. They know they have to be nice to certain people, like the media or sponsors, who can make or break them.

But, not Hamilton.

He is a crowd pleaser. He stops to give out autographs and pose for photographs. He makes an effort to remember your name.

Ironically, this is the same guy who drives seemingly without respect and professes his displeasure in not winning.

"I hate to lose," he told ST. "It's a feeling in your gut, a feeling in your heart, everything just sinks."

But, he claimed he was just "a normal guy in this huge business".

I beg to differ.

Hamilton, after all, said driving in traffic was a "great experience".

"It really teaches you patience," he told media on Thursday.

It's not normal to enjoy traffic jams.

But, then again, it's not normal for a big star to be so down-to-earth, nor a 23-year-old man to drive so incredibly fast.