F1 2007: Hamilton confident he will be off to a fast start

If Lewis Hamilton's growing legion of fans are honest with themselves, there is really only one question in their minds as the 22-year-old Briton prepares for his grand prix debut: can he beat his team leader, Fernando Alonso?

It is, of course, one of the fascinating questions as the circus kicks off its new season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday and one to which, one suspects, we all know the real answer.

The McLaren chief, Ron Dennis, the man responsible for Hamilton's arrival in the top echelon of a tough sport, is careful not to raise expectations of his protégé, but says: "Lewis can win a race if we have a competitive car over the season. He wants to win, and he never gives up. It's going to be difficult to beat Fernando but we'll see. Lewis needs to apply himself and if Fernando is hampered, I can see him taking his position.

"In general, in his first year, if there is a level playing field, can a young driver beat the world champion? No. But I think he might be able to do it in those circumstances."

A little over six months ago Hamilton, then only 21, was sitting at home in Tewin, Hertfordshire, desperately hoping for a call from Dennis that would confirm his future. Would he get the race seat alongside Alonso, the double world champion, after a brilliant rookie season that had seen him crowned champion himself in the GP2 series that supports Formula One?

When Dennis did finally call, in secret late last September, a fairy tale came true for the young man who, as a 13-year-old karter, once shook Dennis's hand and said: "My name is Lewis Hamilton and one day I'd like to drive for McLaren."

Dennis subsequently underwrote his racing career, and signing him last year was an indication not just of his ongoing faith in his protégé, the first black driver to race in Formula One, but also McLaren's determination to rebrand its Vodafone-backed challenge around youth.

Dennis made his feelings about Hamilton clear back then. "I'm distinctly unimpressed by the majority of drivers involved in Formula One," he said trenchantly. "I feel that Lewis is well equipped to deal with the drivers who fall into that category."

He then qualified his remarks by adding: "Of course, we have reservations. Lewis is an unproven product, but having the world champion in one of our cars means that we can be less conservative and take the opportunity to give Lewis his chance."

There was, none the less, a strong body of opinion that suggested Hamilton needed a season of Formula One testing before stepping up to partner Alonso.

The former Jaguar team principal Tony Purnell, who was a fan of Hamilton's way back in his karting days, scoffed at the very idea. Recently he told F1 Racing magazine: "He's been racing as a professional for well over 10 years now, and he's more than ready. Consider this: the only way you can go seriously wrong in F1 is to get blown away by your team-mate - unless, that is, your team-mate happens to be Michael Schumacher or, well, Fernando Alonso. I guess you could also go seriously wrong by smacking up the car week-in and week-out. Lewis didn't smash his way to the top echelon: he danced, waltzed, weaved and dazzled his way there."

Hamilton did damage a McLaren early in his winter test programme, in Valencia, but Dennis is quick to defend that error. "There is not a person in the team who hasn't been impressed by him in testing, and his race pace has been exceptional. He has a lot of stamina.

"Is he faster than Fernando? He had some great races in GP2 last year, but it is extremely difficult for any driver in his first year to be outright more competitive than the current world champion. Never say never, but history shows that it is unlikely he will have the outright pace to beat the champion, and I know that is not Lewis's expectation."

Hamilton gave up pinching himself in disbelief at his good fortune a long time ago, if he ever did it at all, for his is not the typical mindset of a 22-year-old. As Purnell stresses, Hamilton is a winner, and exudes the positive outlook that winners have.

There is no room for self-doubt at this level, yet Hamilton is also a realist. Having trained in McLaren's new boot camp in Finland with the former Finnish Olympic athlete Aki Hinser, he is even fitter and says he is feeling very confident despite the weight of expectation.

"My aim in 2007 is to do a solid job," he said. "I want to learn as much as possible from Fernando, and he will bring a huge amount to the team. Whatever I do in my career, I want to be against the best and to beat the best.

"I think I am very realistic. He is a double world champion and he knows all of it. I am still learning. It's better for me to sit back and say, 'He's No 1,' but who knows, maybe when we get to the first race it will be closer than you expect?

"Six months in, I expect to have learnt a lot. I need to be quick and to be on the pace. But I won't be disappointed if I don't win a race. I have to learn to lose first. But if I'm behind him and he has a problem, then I'd hope to be able to take advantage of that." He pauses, then can't help adding: "But I'd rather be in front of him to begin with..."

Alonso recently offered some advice to his new team-mate, which suggests that the Spaniard is unlikely to be quaking in his boots, but that there is a good bond between them that goes beyond a shared penchant for cropped hair. His words reveal a measure of warmth that indicates they will get on well.

"He has to be very calm. We race the car for an hour and a half, 17 times a year, but the rest of the time can be very stressful and he is very young. So he needs to be very calm. But he's really clever and he'll have no problems."

Both McLaren drivers expect to have a good car. "In testing we were sometimes on top and sometimes Ferrari was on top," Hamilton says in that quietly measured way of his, a big smile lurking on his face, "so I am very confident that McLaren can fight for the title this year."

Purnell points out that Hamilton is expected to be beaten by Alonso, given the Spaniard's experience, two crowns and 15 victories. But don't forget that Sir Stirling Moss is a big fan. "Lewis is the most impressive young driver I've seen in a long while. He has the car control and the calmness when he is driving, but he is also a fighter and has a great manner about him. He'll go a long way."

"Basically, I expect Fernando to be at the front in Australia," Hamilton admits, "but I want to establish a good foundation, so a strong finish for me in Melbourne would be a great start to my F1 career. It's a unique rollercoaster that I'm riding now, and I can't wait for the first race!"

Back in 1965 a young Scot called John Young Stewart got his big chance at BRM, racing alongside the former world champion Graham Hill. There is a growing number of people who believe that Lewis Hamilton has what it takes eventually to emulate what Jackie Stewart went on to achieve.

Older but wiser: the other British newboy keen to make an impact

To remain perpetually on the fringes must have been a fear for Anthony Davidson after years as a test driver.

This weekend in Australia, Davidson is another Briton to get his big break in Formula One - with the Honda-powered Super Aguri team. The Englishman, who will be 28 next month, will enjoy a full season competing against his fellow Briton Jenson Button - with whom he used to race wheel-to-wheel in karts as a youngster.

Davidson's promotion to the big time is highly popular after a career characterised by diligence and a complaint-free attitude.