By Alan Baldwin Friday, April 20th 2007, 10:44 GMT
Lewis Hamilton's sensational start to his Formula One career poses quite a challenge for McLaren and Ron Dennis.
The team boss has to balance his obvious delight at the 22-year-old rookie's achievements with a determination to ensure the Briton is not swept off his feet by the tidal wave of media attention.
He has also to ensure that Spaniard Fernando Alonso, the double world champion who joined from Renault at the end of last season expecting to be the main man, does not feel in any way marginalised or under-appreciated.
It cannot be easy for Alonso, the man who beat Ferrari's seven times world champion Michael Schumacher to the title in the past two seasons, to digest some of the things that are being said about Hamilton.
McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh declared after last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix that Hamilton, the first driver to finish on the podium in his first three races, could be the greatest yet.
Former champion Jackie Stewart suggested the youngster, one of three drivers tied at the top of the championship on 22 points, could even take the title in his debut season.
Frank Williams, whose team gave compatriots Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell the tools to become champions, described Hamilton as a 'superhuman'. One has to remember that Alonso is still only 25 years old, entered Formula One as a teenager and remains the youngest driver ever to start a race on pole position as well as being the youngest race winner (at barely 22 years old) and youngest double champion.
PADDOCK CHAT
Alonso has the intelligence, skill and experience of a champion but even he must be struggling to come to terms with a team mate who is matching his pace and getting most of the attention.
Hamilton has also been a part of the McLaren 'family' for years, backed and helped through the junior series by Dennis for the past decade. Alonso is the newcomer.
In Bahrain, the team boss recognised that there were concerns.
"In Australia (the first race of the year), we had a 'meet the team' (after qualifying) and the two drivers sat down. I stood at the back of the room... and the first three questions all went to Lewis," Dennis told reporters.
"I looked at Fernando and I could just see a trace of 'Hold on a second, I'm the double world champion here and there are no questions'.
"Then someone asked a question and the tension was broken that I felt had existed. But that describes what we are trying to manage," he added.
"We have to keep their feet on the ground and make sure that everybody knows, and certainly Fernando, that we are privileged to have the double world champion in our car."
There is no question that Alonso will be more determined than ever to win his home Spanish grand prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on May 13 but Dennis said there was no danger of the rivalry with Hamilton becoming a negative.
Alonso and Hamilton are a far cry from champions Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, the team mates who were dominant for McLaren in 1988 and 1989 but also had an equally spectacular falling-out.
"The chemistry between the two drivers is fantastic," said Dennis.
Alonso finished second in Australia, while Hamilton was third, and led the Englishman home in a one-two in Malaysia. In Bahrain, Hamilton was second and Alonso fifth.
But Dennis made clear there would be no team orders, no preferential treatment for either driver while either had a chance of winning the title.
With Schumacher now in retirement, Ferrari's two drivers are also fighting on level terms in what could be one of the most exciting title battles in years.
"I can't see any team at the moment operating their cars for the benefit of one driver. Any team," said Dennis, who had a lengthy private -- albeit with a circle of photographers training their lenses on them -- conversation with Alonso in the Bahrain paddock to discuss the various issues.
"I don't think that's happening and that's not been the case in the past.
"We think our position that we've always had is the right one. Of course we want to win world championships, and if possible both of them, but we have got a young pretender and double world champion and we owe it to both drivers to give them an equal opportunity," he added.
"The only thing that would make life difficult is if both started bouncing into each other. But the reality is that it's not in their character."
