Lewis Hamilton has been a revelation on the Formula 1 circuit ever since his debut at last year's Australian Grand Prix. He was consistently on the podium in 2007 and brought a whole new generation of fans to the sport.

A year on and Hamilton has been described as some Formula 1 fans and the media as a "one-season wonder". I have to disagree as I'm sure Hamilton is here to stay - and will become even more successful than he has already showed.

Only three races into the new season and it is true that he has been far from impressive in his last two starts after his opening win in Melbourne, where no one could stop the young driver.

'No one can doubt Hamilton has a real talent which needs to be nurtured - he cannot be expected to be a winner in every race'


He is hardly in bad form, it's just that his competitors' cars have been performing a lot better in Bahrain and Malaysia than Hamilton's McLaren. The Ferraris have shown superior strength and even the BMW have out-performed McLaren so far this season.

The BMW duo of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld actually lead the constructors' championship, with Ferrari and McLaren not too far behind. Hamilton is himself only five points behind Kimi Raikkonen in the early race for the drivers' championship, hardly making the British star a one-season wonder.

Hamilton's win in Melbourne shows that, if his car can be competitive and he can avoid silly mistakes like the one in Bahrain when he collided with Fernando Alonso at the start, then Hamilton can still be a force this year.

No one can doubt Hamilton has a real talent which needs to be nurtured - he cannot be expected to be a winner in every race. The races are too complex and anything number of things can happen which are out of his control.

With only three races completed in the new season, Hamilton will look to build his consistency throughout the summer to build his points tally up and avoid crashes, poor pitstops, car mechanical problems etc.

Hamilton needs to hope McLaren can become more competitve against Ferrari and BMW and I am sure that each individual race course will suit a different team more than the other, which is what makes Formula 1 so exciting to watch and follow as a fan.

I feel Lewis Hamilton still has a great chance of success in the 2008 season. If his car can match that of his rivals, he has the driving ability to mix it with the best. With one year's full experience behind him, Lewis will be able to take extra confidence into each race as the fear of the unknown lessens.

This season should be a competitive one and I am hopeful of many more twists and turns which will help the public stay focused on the Grand Prix season. Let's hope Lewis can give the Brits some sporting success - success which is long overdue since Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell were in their prime.

Don't discount the young Brit yet - let his talent grow and leave the pressure off him. If Hamilton can continue to gain experience and learn from his McLaren team-mates then he is sure to have a fantastic and long career in the sport.

No way is Hamilton a one-season wonder. He's here to stay - and become a true champion.

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