Sponsors delighted with Hamilton

The mobile telecommunications company agreed to become team sponsors back in December 2005 with the deal beginning at the start of the 2007 season, which has so far been a stunning success for the team and especially Formula One rookie Hamilton, who leads the drivers' championship by eight points from Spanish team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"People have said that we have struck gold with this partnership and they're not wrong," David Wheldon, Vodafone's global director of brand and consumer experience, said. "We set about these things very strategically. We left Ferrari in December 2006 and among the choices were to continue where we were or to go elsewhere and we are delighted to be a team sponsor."

Wheldon has seen at first hand what marks Hamilton out from the crowd in the F1 paddock.

"What is remarkable, if you spend any time with Lewis or his dad, is that these are wonderful, regular people," he added.

"He is a premier sportsman but another bit of this is that he is a thoroughly charming bloke. I watch him wander up and down the pit lane, he stops for every person wanting to take a picture, he'll talk to every kid, he'll sign every autograph and he'll do all of it smiling.

"You can watch other drivers striding down the pitlane ignoring everybody.

"The team are miles ahead of Ferrari, Fernando is doing very well as well but Lewis is the rookie sensation.

"This almost couldn't be better."