Sakhir, Bahrain: Formula One's hottest property Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to fresh experiences and newer challenges as he prepares for a rare third podium onslaught in Bahrain tomorrow.
In his debut year on the F1 circuit, the 22-year-old Briton has been phenomenal, winning third place in Australia before fending off "Iceman" Kimi Raikkonen last week in Kuala Lumpur to take an amazing second behind teammate and defending world champion Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton became the first black driver on a Formula One grid, and he now stands on the threshold of becoming the first driver since Formula One began in 1950 to claim a podium spot in his first three races - something that even others such as Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso have managed to achieve.
"I've been fortunate enough in my career that whenever I've got to a new category I've usually been able to challenge at the front," Hamilton said.
Gaining confidence
And with every race, has come a desire to seek newer challenges and break new ground. "Each time you go out, you start to gain confidence and respect in the other drivers. I've experienced that in the last couple of races, especially in Malaysia with Felipe [Massa].
"We know where we are and I'm sure there will be a lot more tough challenges in future," Hamilton predicted.
With everything seemingly going his way, Hamilton has no intentions of slowing it down or making mistakes, which normally happen in a fast sport like Formula One.
"As competitors, most drivers find that most of pressure comes from within. You really do kick yourself when you make a mistake. So the whole point is preparing yourself well enough and trying to keep yourself in that zone [of not making a mistake]," Hamilton stated.
Being fortunate
And he has been fortunate so far that his mistakes, though small, have not reflected in his results.
"We all make mistakes trying to push the car to the limit and trying to better ourselves in the race. When you push a car to the limit 100 per cent it's inevitable that you are going to make mistakes. It's going to happen at some point. I don't know when, but you try to limit it and I'll try to deal with it the best way I can when it does happen," Hamilton offered.
Hamilton is not one to be surprised with his results so far. "It has been tough and I think I've had luck on my side. I've been in the right place at the right time and done a good job, but so has the team," Hamilton said.
"I've always found that I've had a decent amount of respect from the other drivers," he admitted.
But he's taking nothing for granted either. "I've had two podium finishes, but I am still a rookie."
