Lewis Hamilton goes into learning curve far too fast for rivals

Hamilton, the first black driver in Formula One, has arrived in Shanghai for the penultimate round of an increasingly acrimonious season appearing genuinely bewildered by the flak which has headed his way.

Today, he responded in the only way he knows how by leaving some of his fiercest detractors behind with the fastest time in the opening practice session for Sunday's race.

Hamilton, who can celebrate a maiden world championship on Sunday if he takes six more points than closest challenger Felipe Massa, steered his McLaren round the 3.39-mile Shanghai Circuit in 1min 35.630sec; nearly half a second faster than the Brazilian.

That makes the 23-year-old favourite to claim a second successive pole position in China. But while Hamilton's sheer speed has never been a matter of dispute, the manner in which he has sought to establish himself as an intimidating force has raised the hackles of those who race against him.

Mark Webber, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, spoke out after Hamilton forced defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen off the track at the first corner in last Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

The manner in which Hamilton suddenly darted from behind Raikkonen's Ferrari led to F1 great Sir Jackie Stewart describing him as "arrogant" and drew a call from Damon Hill, the last British driver to lift the crown back in 1996, for Hamilton to "cool it".

Webber referred back to the Italian Grand Prix in 2000, when fire marshal Paolo Ghislimberti was killed by debris.

The Australian Red Bull driver said: "We lost a marshal at Monza when there were guys moving around in the braking areas and it is very hard to change your line if you don't know what is going to come.

"The first corner in Fuji was pretty wild. Hamilton was having a crack, but if someone had been sitting on his right rear when he pulled out then that was a crash. I am not smashing Hamilton but it is about how you move on. Tiger Woods learns. Roger Federer learns. And Lewis is going through that."

Robert Kubica, who stands 12 points behind Hamilton with a maximum of 20 up for grabs in China and the final Grand Prix in Brazil, is still angry about Hamilton's driving in Italy last month.

The Pole survived an horrendous crash in last year's Canadian Grand Prix when his BMW-Sauber rode up the back of another car and was launched into the barriers. He said: "When one driver is overtaking another one and crossing his line just in front of his wheels, it's quite dangerous.

"I have been involved in an accident in a similar situation in Canada and I know what it means when a front wheel hits a rear wheel. While nothing happens everything is fine. But if something happens, then I think everyone will realise. That's all."

Jarno Trulli, another GPDA director, revealed he would bring up another incident from the Fuji race with race director Charlie Whiting later today.

The Italian said Hamilton had held up his Toyota while he was trying to lap him during the race. He said: "Lewis did not even watch the mirrors because he came back on the track right in front of me and he held me up for two laps.

"I will go in the drivers' briefing and say this is what happened. I believe Lewis could have handled it in a different way because it was not fair."

Racing on the limit has been Hamilton's trademark since he first slipped behind the wheel of a kart as a boy.

The only creed he knows is that of being a winner and, for now, he is streets ahead in China. Hamilton's domination of the first practice was emphasised with less than 0.1sec covering Massa, Raikkonen and McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.