SPORTS journalists usually have to go out to meet athletes and newsmakers.

So when an F1 driver makes an hour-long pit stop at The Straits Times for an interview and a lap around the newsroom, it is a rare occasion. Reporters working on stories hit the brakes. Some take a peek, while others take second Is-that-an-F1-driver-I'm-seeing glances.

When that driver is Kazuki Nakajima, it is also a privilege, because this man we often see behind the wheel and underneath a helmet is one of the most down-to-earth sportsmen you will ever meet.

Sports correspondent Rohit Brijnath showing Nakajima around the newsroom.
ST PHOTOS: JOYCE FANG

For someone who is in an industry where every millisecond counts, the 24-year-old Williams driver gladly lends you his time.

Got a question? Fire away.

He is happy to talk about any topic - from what he can cook to the influence his father Satoru, a former Formula One driver, has on his career.

More often than not, reporters pick up on an interviewees' willingness to open up.

Clearly one of my colleagues, Hafiz, did -- as evident in him waving a piece of paper that reads "Ask about his girlfriend" midway through the interview. Our sports correspondent Rohit did just that.

Some athletes might scowl when you ask them about their private lives. Not Kazuki.

Rohit and Nakajima sit down for an interview at the newsroom's Sports section.

Broach on the topic and the Japanese smiles and tells us about his other half, and how she does not travel with him so that he can concentrate fully on the race.

Yes, he is taken. Although that did not stop some of his female fans in the office from asking for autographs and photos. (Well, even the men stepped forward.) Unsurprisingly, he obliges with a smile.

ST reporters take a break from work to get autographs.

One could argue that it is easier to engage a rookie or a rising star (he made his F1 debut in 2007) than a world champion, whom everyone wants a piece of -- the media, the sponsors, the fans.

But it is still refreshing to meet athletes who have no airs about them.

Rohit shows Nakajima the job of a journalist; in exchange Nakajima will show Rohit what he does at the paddock.

For the likes of Roger Federer and Lorena Ochoa, it is not just skill but personality and character that win the respect of their compatriots and rivals alike. It is why fans and young kids watching their favourite stars on television do not just want to play like them, but be like them.

Every sport needs ambassadors. And when they come along, their presence is certainly worth lapping up.

Read more about Nakajima's visit to the newsroom in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.