Rarely do we see a story of a sportsman so enticing as that of Lewis Hamilton - a 22-year-old rookie driver who has never been off the podium six races into his Formula One career. Now, with his first win under his belt, and sitting atop the World Championship, it appears that the world is his oyster. F1 is the most tightly-knit of sporting fraternities. There are rarely more than 60 people who drive these cars professionally, and only a third of that number ever get to race them. Former racing commentator Murray Walker has tipped Lewis as a potential world champion in his first season. This is nothing less than extraordinary. How long has it been since we heard God Save the Queen played first at a presentation ceremony? And how long has it been since we heard just the one anthem for a British driver (in deference to Mr. Coulthard) and British constructor? Is Lewis Hamilton therefore the saviour of British motorsport? Time and time again, British sport has appeared to have found a figurehead. Tim Henman (mummy’s little soldier), Greg Rusedski (that well-known Canadian – I mean British – superstar) and Jensen Button (rather left out in the cold now) have all failed to impress the most British of solo sports. Hamilton, however, was quietly ushered in to McLaren, and ridiculed the highest hopes and dreams of those of us who watched him enter Bernie Ecclestone’s circuit. I think that this is a very important part of his success. He has been kept under the wing of Ron Dennis and guarded from the media hype that now surrounds him, so that he can concentrate on his driving. Even ITV F1, that bastion of drivers' interviews, have respected the request from Mr. Dennis to respect his privacy. Everybody at ITV F1 seems to be willing Lewis to win, and doing everything in their power not to cause the slightest bit of disruption. The main reason for young Hamilton's success, however, is the simple fact that he is one of the best drivers to have emerged in modern F1 history. His talent was recognised by another of the sport's modern greats, who nurtured the skills that are now ensuring he will be to be a major force in years to come.
