The 22-year-old Briton was third on his debut for McLaren in Australia and followed that up with second place in Malaysia on Sunday behind team-mate and reigning double world champion Fernando Alonso.
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Safe hands: Hamilton has made impressive start to the season
At this early stage – he trails Spain's Alonso by just four points – Hamilton has to be considered a genuine title contender. The maturity displayed in his two performances has made him one of the men to beat – and an instant star in the process.
Ahead of this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix even the Stevenage-born driver admits his achievements have been beyond his wildest dreams.
"To have started my debut season in F1 with two podium positions is more than I could ever have expected," said Hamilton.
"With the team I will keep pushing hard to develop and continue to fight for more results like these.
"However, I am aware this is a dream start in a difficult sport."
McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh is looking forward to a battle for supremacy with Ferrari this season and added: "To be leading both championships is fantastic. However, we are not in any way having any thoughts of complacency."
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