There seems to be the new magic number in Formula One, replacing seven which is the number of times Michael Schumacher has won the driver’s championship during his illustrious career.
Three races, three winners and three drivers share the lead as the Formula One bandwagon move into Europe.
Three also has historic significance, thanks to Lewis Hamilton’s histrionics: he is the first driver in the sports 57-year history to make a podium finish in the first three races of his career.
But more significant is the fact that the rookie 22-year-old also shares the lead with Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso with 22 points each.
Remarkably, Raikkonen and Alonso have won a race each, while Hamilton is yet to clinch a Formula One Grand Prix.
There is no doubt that Hamilton is the new hero in town, the new British hope and as Bernie Eccleston put it the next Formula One superstar.
Britons certainly needs Hamilton at this time when national sporting heroes are fast becoming endangered species and soccer violence is blighting its international image.
But my only fear is that Hamilton may become another victim of media overkill or mass over expectations. Or more specifically, I hope Hamilton does not go the Tim Henman way or simply breakup like Marcos Trescothick (Stresscothick as someone put it).
Hamilton has already raised a lot of hope and is seen as the most likely candidate to become Briton’s ninth Formula One champion and the first since Damon Hill in 1996.
“Hamilton is already a rage in Britain. The expectations are so high that all tickets for the Silverstone F1 race was sold out within hours of Hamilton finishing third in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix,” said Bahrain International Circuit general manager Martin Whitaker as we chatted about this year’s prospects last week.
Here again I hope Silverstone will not replace Wimbledon or Wembley for the English supporters to take their expectations through the roof.
It is best to bury Henmania and let Hamilton blossom naturally and unobtrusively.
The English media, however, has already raised the pitch to almost unbearable levels.
Andy Murray, who has just moved into the top 10 of the ATP list, is already being hailed as the next Grand Slam champion and now Hamilton comes in handy for some more unreasonable passion-letting on the sports pages.
At another level obvious and odious comparisons are getting tedious.
Hamilton is the new ‘Tiger on Wheels’ was one such heading that caught my eye. When I mentioned this question to Hamilton on Saturday this what he had to say: “I don’t really take much notice of that sort of thing. I’m not Tiger Woods, I’m Lewis Hamilton, I’m completely different. I do think he’s a sensational athlete and it’s an honour to be compared to someone of such great calibre. But I’m here in Formula One, I’m here to do a job. I hope I can have a similar impact on Formula One as he has had in golf.”
So far Hamilton has done brilliantly for a rookie or otherwise. There were flashes of brilliance in Australia where he finished third in his debut race and in Malaysia his limitless talent was in full view as he overtook the two Ferraris, both better and quicker cars than his own McLaren, to finish second from fourth on the grid.
But in Bahrain on Sunday the youngster from Tewin with Carribean parentage was in a different zone. His intuitive feel for Formula One racing was evident and so was his remarkable skill and will.
Hamilton did not look like a rookie at all as he fought the two Ferraris, winner Filipe Massa ahead of him and Kimi Raikkonen behind, with the air of a champion. It was classic stuff, the art and craft of Formula One racing taken to a new sublime level.
“To have finished on the podium three out of three times is fantastic. The next step forward is to win,” said Hamilton after the Bahrain race.
But it is not so simple in the intriguing world of Formula One where protocol can go to ludicrous levels.
Hamilton has so far adhered to the so called ethics of a junior driver, displaying enough defer for senior teammate and double champion Fernando Alonso and by and large following his team’s instructions.
Now I suspect he needs team boss Ron Dennis’ approval to cross that invisible line and become a Grand Prix winner.
According to Hamilton himself it can happen anytime. “Doesn’t matter if it’s the next race,” Hamilton said. “But sometime this year, I’m going to have one.”
No disputing that as a success starved, soccer-mad nation waits for the band to play God Save the Queen.
New hero in the making
Vijay Mruthyunjaya
