Hamilton 'not a surprise' insists team boss

Hamilton is currently in a three-way tie with team-mate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the top of the drivers' standings.

The 22-year-old followed up a third place on his debut in the opening race in Australia by finishing runner-up in Malaysia and Bahrain.

That has led to Hamilton becoming the first man in Formula One history to finish on the podium in his opening three grands prix.

To many, Hamilton has been a revelation and a breath of fresh air to the sport, but, to all at McLaren, his performances were nothing more than they expected.

Chief executive officer Whitmarsh said: "Lewis, by any standards, has had a terrific start to the season and a great beginning to his Formula One career.

"For us, it is not perhaps as surprising as it might be to others.

"We've worked with him for 11 years and we set out to ensure that he arrived in Formula One as prepared as possible.

"With Lewis, everyone is rightly proud of their achievements.

"But in reality the primary credit for what has occurred lies with Lewis, who has been very dedicated, focused and calm in the way in which he has approached his debut."

Whitmarsh concedes the team will continue to do all that it can to shield Hamilton from the glare of the spotlight currently trained on him.

"As a new driver who has made a great start to his career, he massively values the support he receives, but we are keen to make sure that nothing detracts from his focus of getting the job done."