Hamilton and Alonso on equal groundBriton Lewis Hamilton etched his name into the Formula One record books on Sunday as he became the first man to claim three podium finishes in his first three races in the sport.
The 22-year-old Briton had finished third and second
in his two previous races to date. In Bahrain he followed that up with another second place after starting a Grand Prix on the front row for the first time alongside pole sitter and eventual winner Ferrari's Brazilian driver Felipe Massa.
"I'm very pleased with the result," said Hamilton. "To have finished on the podium three times out of three is fantastic.”
Before Sunday's race the talented rookie earned the praise of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who thought that Hamilton would be the next superstar of Formula One.
As well as making history in Sakhir, Hamilton, the 2006 GP2 champion, vaulted himself into a share of the lead in the driver's championship alongside his teammate and double champion
Fernando Alonso. Those two, along with Ferrari's Finnish driver
Kimi Raikkonen, each have 22 points.
McLaren Mercedes-Benz CEO Martin Whitmarsh was full of praise for his young star's performance: "We have two drivers in our team now contending for the drivers' championship," he said.
"I think people at the start thought Lewis was clearly a very fast driver, and he started very, very strongly. But we all have to conclude now that he is a serious title challenger this year."
Hamilton's consistency has been hugely impressive and it is clear to see that he has earned the full confidence and backing of his British based team.
"He will of course want to go one better soon and win a race, but I don't think any of us doubt that it is going to be achieved some time this season," Whitmarsh added.
Source AFP
