McLaren sure Hamilton will be champion

The British rookie, who has been backed by McLaren for the past 10 years, completed a sensational debut weekend by leading the race for four laps on his way to third place, the first podium by a debutant driver since Jacques Villeneuve in the 1996 season.

Following Hamilton's display in Melbourne, McLaren's F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh has no doubts that the 22-year-old is set for a phenomenal career.

"I think the truth is that the pressure that Lewis had on him, the media quite obviously take a phenomenal interest in Lewis and what he has achieved so far, but he still had to come here and deliver," Whitmarsh told reporters after the race.

 "If he had flopped today and made a mistake then we all know what the headlines would have looked like.

"To come through that, make a good start, be out-jumped by the BMWs and respond to that, react, have the presence of mind to react and get to the outside line, execute without taking risks the overtaking he did at the first corner was fantastic.

"Throughout the race he had enormous pressure, he didn't let that tell and did a fantastic job. Anyone who is here now must know we are at the start of a career that is going to be phenomenal.

"He will be a world champion, it is just a question of time now."

Hamilton led teammate Fernando Alonso for several laps after making a brave start, in which he passed the two-time champion around the outside of the first corner.

Alonso eventually moved ahead during the second rounds of pitstops, after Hamilton lost time due to the backmarkers.

Whitmarsh reckons even without traffic, Alonso was likely to finish ahead.

"I think the primary reason he didn't beat Fernando, he did have a little bit of that, but the strategy we had predetermined gave Fernando a couple of extra laps at that last stop and that is when you can take some time," he added.

"There was a little bit of traffic, and he has got to learn to deal with that - although sometimes you cannot learn you have got to rely on some cooperation. Fernando is a class act, he is the benchmark at the moment, so the fact he is racing a double world champion is absolutely amazing - in the same equipment on your debut, it is truly phenomenal.

"Both of them have done a great job, not just this weekend but during the winter to pull together the team. There is clear and obvious mutual respect between the two of them. They are motivational, they are concise, they are causing us to really dig deep."

Whitmarsh believes Hamilton will be even stronger thanks to today's result.

"Immediately after there was that emotion," added Whitmarsh. "He is a very composed young man and you saw it as he crossed the line. He was dancing around inside the car, we heard and experienced that, he is ecstatic and he knows that the eyes of the world are on him and he is trying to be composed.

"He will go away from this with even more confidence. He grows in stature a millimeter a day in width and height and gravitas, and what was amazing was just listening to him on the radio talking to his engineer in a reasonably assertive manner - saying this is what I think, in a very articulate and intelligent manner.

"You would have thought you were listening to someone who is battlehardered, experienced and with great self confidence. The fact that he is doing that in his first weekend is incredible."