Hamilton won't get carried away

Lewis Hamilton is desperately trying to stay grounded as he comes to terms with what he concedes has been "a dream start" to his Formula One career.

Third on his F1 debut for McLaren in the Australian Grand Prix was followed by another exemplary drive in Sunday's Malaysian race where he finished second behind team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"To have started my debut season in Formula One with two podium positions is more than I could ever have expected," said Hamilton. "However, I am aware this is a dream start to the season in what is a difficult sport."

He added: "With the team I will keep pushing hard to develop and continue to fight for more results like these.

"Bahrain, like Malaysia, will be another demanding race and I will have new experiences and challenges - I am really looking forward to it though."

At this early stage, - he trails reigning double world champion Alonso by just four points - the 22-year-old Briton has to be considered a genuine title contender.

The maturity displayed in his two performances has made Hamilton one of the men to beat and an instant star.