Natural Born Thriller

There is no other way to describe the immediate impact that Lewis Hamilton had on the Formula One community - both on and off the track - at the Australian Grand Prix.

The hype and expectations had been steadily increasing throughout the winter, despite fervent attempts by his boss and mentor Ron Dennis to try and keep a lid on the situation. But as Melbourne got nearer it was hard not to pretend that something special was about to happen.

Even McLaren could not help themselves in the build up to Hamilton's debut - labelling the youngster 'the most exciting prodigy of his generation' and 'the most successful young driver ever to come into F1' in their official pre-season 'Teamcast'.

So were we going to be disappointed? Was the pressure of the weekend, the very moment that Hamilton had been waiting for since he first stepped into a kart, going to get to him? Was it heck.

Ultra calm, ultra cool and completely under control, Hamilton arrived in F1 as though he were a seasoned veteran. On track he was superb; matching teammate Fernando Alonso move for move all weekend, swooping past him at the first corner, leading the Spaniard until the final stops and grabbing a podium finish on his debut.

It was a performance that left everyone breathless; not least his father who had confessed for much of the weekend to feeling it had a slightly unreal feel to it. Yet from the off, as Hamilton arrived in Melbourne after a few days acclimatising in Australia, the warning signs had been there about just what sort of weekend it was going to be.

"I knew we were going to be in trouble the moment we arrived here this week because Lewis was just so happy," confessed his father Anthony, who has been a rock solid guiding force in his son's career.

"I will just tell you. I have never seen Lewis like this. When I turned up, I just knew he felt good and he didn't even talk to me about it. And I didn't talk to him about it, because over the years I know when he is going to have a good day, or when he is going to have a bad day. And I just knew it was going to be an incredible weekend. I didn't have to say a word to him. It was just brilliant.

"He was happy with the car when he went out in practice, and he was very happy with the car in qualifying obviously. And whenever he is that happy I know there is something special to come.

"Nothing surprises me with Lewis. As you can imagine, I've always believed in him and always known it was there. And to be honest, Ron is the person who had the foresight many, many years ago and thought 'who is this little kid?'

"I tell you what: he has got a bloody good eye hasn't he?"

But it was not just the on-track performances that left observers thoroughly impressed by Hamilton. If you scratched away at the surface of his tightly controlled public appearances you could see the first signs about just what a formidable force he is going to be.

For a start, he was completely unfazed by all the attention surrounding him. Rookies often complain that the biggest difficulty they face when they first arrive in the paddock is the constant demand on their time; the fans pursuing them for autographs, the media chasing quotes, FIA meetings, Paddock Club talks, sponsor handshakes and engineering briefings. It is often a relief when they actually get strapped into the car to go and do their stuff.

Not once, though, did Hamilton seem put back by the attention; not once did he baulk as a horde of microphones were thrust into his face and he was moved from camera to camera to talk through his experiences.

More impressive though were the first signs of just how fiercely competitive Hamilton remains even though he is the new boy on the scene. It appears that if teammate Fernando Alonso was expecting an easy time alongside a rookie in 2007, he is going to be sadly (for him, not us) disappointed.

For while some of F1's less experienced stars may happily accept they are going to take time getting up to speed and not build themselves up against their teammates for fear of disappointment - but not once did Hamilton say he was aiming only to be second best.

Here he was, on the eve of his first Grand Prix, going up against F1's current benchmark star in identical equipment, and Hamilton was already talking about not being the team's number two.

"Fernando is an extremely talented driver, as a two-time world champion, and I respect him and respect that position," said Hamilton, during a chat with reporters at McLaren-Mercedes' traditional pre-Melbourne event at the Stokehouse restaurant on St. Kilda beach on Thursday.

"We have to wait and see. I don't look at the team and say: 'I am number two.' We are both there to do a strong job for the team and we are both there to win. So we will see at the end of the day."

It is not Hamilton's style to accept second best; and you just know that inside his head there is a belief that he can not only take on Alonso, but that he can beat him.

Fazed by Alonso? No chance. "I have never been fazed and I am not fazed now," he said. "I am in a great position. I respect Fernando and I realise my position in the team, but at the end of the day I am here to win and I will be working towards that."

As the weekend developed, and as Alonso began to realise just what sort of challenge he was facing from Hamilton, it was fascinating to see how their rivalry unfolded. There is no open confrontation between them, and no suggestion of friction, but just evidence here and there of what a ferociously competitive relationship the pair are going to enjoy.

Take late Saturday afternoon, at McLaren's regular post-qualifying press conference, when Hamilton and Alonso were presented first. Sat side-by-side in front of the 30 or so media present, Alonso appeared distracted; he kept glancing through the glass at the Spanish media waiting for him outside as Hamilton got more than his fair share of attention.

After two years as a world champion, where his own media sessions had been packed to the rafters while poor teammate Giancarlo Fisichella found few wanted to speak to him, it must have been a very different kind of experience for Alonso to no longer be centre stage.

There were occasions when Hamilton thrust the microphone into Alonso's hands to bring him back, saying: 'What do you think?' - and showing he wasn't afraid to take control of the situation.

And most interestingly, Hamilton kept on diverting any suggestions of there being pressure to perform onto his teammate. With Dennis proudly looking on from the back of the room, Hamilton made clear, in that subtle way that intelligent racing drivers do, that it was not him who needed to shine this weekend. No, that honour was bestowed on the man in the other car.

"I don't think the pressure has got to me," said Hamilton. "I am able to control it and filter it in a way that it works maybe to my advantage. But it is intense and it is easy to lose it. I just have to stay relaxed.

"It is something to do with my personality and the fact that at the end of the day Fernando is probably expected to do a lot more than me, so I have got to focus on my job. I have got a lot of respect for Fernando and I know my place and position in the team."

The words came from the heart, yet without any arrogance at all. And they gave all the evidence we needed to show that kind of opponent Hamilton is going to be, both in terms of speed and the psychological mind-games and mindset that are part of being a top-line F1 driver.

Dennis, for one, certainly picked up on those comments. "It makes me smile when he says: 'I know my place.' It is a great line for him, but he has every intention of trying to beat Fernando tomorrow. No question. And it is great to have two racing drivers, two drivers that are really so excellent at racing."

McLaren too noticed the supreme level of confidence that Hamilton brought with him to the cockpit. During the race, with Alonso shadowing him in his mirrors, there were no signs of jitters, nerves or hesitation when he was dealing with his engineers and the crew on the pitwall. Only as he crossed the line, punching the air in delight, did he finally let his guard down.

McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh said: "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 millimetre a day - in width, 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 battle-hardened, experienced and with great self-confidence. The fact that he is doing that in his first weekend is incredible."

Perhaps the best compliment that Hamilton could have on his debut was not the praise raining down on him from the media, the team or fellow drivers; but in the way that Alonso cleverly tried to play down what had happened over the weekend.

Alonso is no slouch when it comes to using the media to his own advantage - remember the pre-Japanese Grand Prix press conference last year when he said he felt 'alone' in some races because he felt Renault were not throwing all their weight behind him?

So when asked at the end of the Australian Grand Prix what it was liked being pushed by a teammate for the first time in his F1 career, having seen Hamilton daringly blast past him at the first corner and lead him until his race strategy got him back past, Alonso very subtly referred back to the way that Fisichella and Jarno Trulli had often been quicker at the start of seasons.

"I think I have had difficult moments with Trulli in 2004. At the beginning he won the Monaco race and he had more podiums than me," said Alonso. "Fisichella normally started the season better than me - in 2005 he won the Australian Grand Prix and last year he won in Malaysia as well. So I have more or less similar to what I had today. Hopefully we can keep this level of competition inside the team all through the season."

The message was clear: I may have had a hard time this weekend but don't for a second think that Hamilton is a superstar just yet. Alonso knew exactly what he was saying.

If Hamilton's first race weekend is anything to go by, there is going to be plenty to get excited about this season. There are going to be setbacks on the way, but Hamilton is very much the real deal - and the man himself will be convinced even more of that by his successful debut.

As the sun went down at Albert Park on Sunday night, Anthony Hamilton was enjoying a mixture of both delight and relief - but it was clear he was probably the proudest father in the world at that moment.

Immediately after the race, father and son had briefly embraced in celebration; no words were exchanged, but they did not need to be.

"Lewis didn't say anything. He just laughed," said Anthony about that moment. "And that laugh was: we know we can do it. And that is what it is all about.

"He is a good lad Lewis. He has given 100 percent with everything and he is still a feet on the ground kid, and he will remain that way as long as I've got something to do with it. Hopefully, the press will help him remain that way too.

"I don't want Lewis to lose focus on the job. The job is motor racing. It has taken us 13 years to get here. That is all he will ever think about - nothing else."

Lewis would not want it any other way. And, judging by what everyone saw in Melbourne, neither would we.

Q&A with Anthony Hamilton

After a stunning debut by Lewis Hamilton in Australia, autosport.com caught up with the young sensation's father Anthony in the heat of the moment...

Q: What were your feelings when you were watching the podium?

Anthony Hamilton: "To be honest, it is very, very difficult because this whole roller coaster ride of coming up through karting, single seaters and then Formula One, you just cannot explain how you feel. It has been a long, long road. And there are not enough superlatives to say, it was this, it was that. It was just the feeling that is incredible."

Q: That first move right at the start of the race when he overtook Fernando Alonso. What did you think of that?

Hamilton: "It was classic Lewis. That is all the years of karting - they paid off in that one corner. It was a good experience."

Q: He seemed completely unfazed by the prospect of having Fernando Alonso behind him for so long in the race?

Hamilton: "The confidence he has is incredible. The car is good, he loves the car."

Q: For a father Anthony though, it must be harder watching your son. You are going to need a holiday aren't you?

Hamilton: "I tell you what, I can't put up with this much longer!"

Q: How will you celebrate this result?

Hamilton: "I think we will celebrate when he comes back after Bahrain. He won't be back home until after Bahrain so we will get together as a family and we will enjoy it there.

"To be honest, he is probably going to chill out and relax tonight and he will have a big smile on his face when he goes to bed. And he will get up tomorrow and he will start training again - and he is going to want to come to Malaysia and do well.

"We never say we are going to win, we never say we are going to get points. As long as you do your best then, that is all that can be asked. And if you can get a result out of it, that is a bonus isn't it?"

Q: Do you consider today as the payback for all the efforts you made for him in his career?

Hamilton: "I suppose so. When you are dreaming as a youngster to become a racing driver, most people aspire to reach Formula One. And it is just another step, another hurdle, in the race to become world champion. And it is a milestone, a fantastic milestone.

"I think the podium came a bit quicker than we expected. I am a fairly pragmatic kind of guy, I think a sixth would have been great - to get points in the first appearance would have been brilliant. Third? Wow."

Q: During the race, did you ever think that he could win it?

Hamilton: "Lewis always believes he can win. And I believe him..."

Q: What did Ron say to you afterwards?

Hamilton: "It's private. But Ron is a very, very happy man. I think this is one of the proudest moments of his life for a long, long time. Well, all credit to him. How do you pick up a 13-year-old kid all those years ago and say: 'I can see something in you.' I could see it because I am his dad. But how did Ron see it? The man has got a superb eye."

Q: Niki Lauda has said that Lewis' was the best debut he has ever seen. What do you think?

Hamilton: "Look, we are just ordinary people. We want to remain as ordinary as possible, although we certainly know things are going to change."

Q: You are not the stereotypical racing dad. How do you see your role?

Hamilton: "I am a father that can see the opportunity a son has been given. And so when Ron called us up and said: 'I am going to help your son' I thought: 'You are going to help us, why?' He could not have done it on his own.

"I just see my role as the wise man and the advisor more than anything, just having a look at the global view and trying to pick the right path for Lewis to take. That is really where I see myself. I don't see myself as his manager, but really as the wise advisor really.

"It is incredible that he still listens to me. He is 22-years of age. At that age I had left home and if my father told me something I would have ignored him!"

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- The Autosport.com Team

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