Hamilton's victory pledge turns up the heat on Alonso

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Hamilton beat the double world champion in Bahrain on Sunday to go joint top of the standings.

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Doing his owen thing: Lewis Hamilton says he can beat Alonso in Barcelona if he wants to

And now the British rookie is determined to celebrate his maiden victory - at only the fourth attempt - in front of Alonso's adoring home crowd in Barcelona on May 13.

Hamilton, whose second place in Bahrain made him the first F1 driver in history to finish on the podium in each of his first three races, said: "I'm working extremely hard. Fernando is very talented and a credit to the team. He is the toughest driver I have competed against and it is hard to beat him. But it doesn't mean I can't.

"I am free to do what I want. If I can qualifying pole, I can qualifying pole. If I can beat Fernando, I will do."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has already had a 'paternal' chat with Alonso, fearing his £15million-a-year star is unhappy with the hullabaloo that has accompanied his junior partner's brilliant start.

Hamilton will return to Britain later this week for the first time since making his debut in Australia last month, aware that his public profile has soared.

The 22-year-old, now considered a genuine title contender, said: "My life is not normal. That's for sure. It is different since I have been in Formula One. In general I live the same life, but when you get to the F1 circuit it is different. You have a lot more attention, but when I get into the car I get a great buzz, and that's what I have been working towards."

He also paid tribute to his father Anthony, saying: "He has been there since day one. He has been the major driving force behind my career, pushing me all the way. He is at races to show me support. If I have any problems I can go to him."