By Sarah Holt

Hamilton goes into his second season as a main title contender

Life in Formula One's fast lane can be fickle and Lewis Hamilton could find out why when he opens his second season at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

"In your first season everyone loves you," warns Red Bull driver Mark Webber.

"But in your second season, all of a sudden you're supposed to be on another level and cope with the pressure differently."

Can Britain's newest superstar handle the expectation and build on his success?

Or will Hamilton falter and succumb to "second season syndrome" - where novices encounter setbacks to remind them the sport is more challenging than it appeared in their bright-eyed debut year?

Any new Formula One driver is effectively gifted a season in which to make their mistakes; but Hamilton hardly needed his carte blanche in 2007.

The 23-year-old smashed the rookie records in his debut campaign - winning four Grands Prix and earning nine straight podium finishes - and was just a point away from winning the world title.

Beyond misjudgements with the car's set-up in Silverstone, Belgium and Italy, where he conceded points to team-mate Fernando Alonso, Hamilton made few errors.

Now no-one is expecting Hamilton to go backwards. He will be expected to get even better.

Hamilton retired in China after sliding off on his way into the pits

With a year's racing experience learned at each of the circuits added to his armoury, Hamilton can draw on that knowledge to help him cope with the extra pressure.

However, even after his remarkable 2007, a question mark still hangs over Hamilton's ability to hold his nerve when it really matters.

When the world title was within reach, mistakes in the last two races saw it slip from his grasp.

In China, he retired, sliding off the track on his way into the pits after pushing his tyres to the limit and not making the call to return to the pits for a new set.

Then in Brazil he ploughed into the run-off area when he ambitiously tried to overtake Alonso on the first lap before a gearbox fault saw him trail home in seventh.

Hamilton will need to show he has learned from those costly errors, especially as McLaren are now relying on him as their breadwinner.

Alonso's departure to Renault means Hamilton will be able to race free from the strain and distraction of their fractious relationship.

The bickering between the two first spilt onto the track in Hungary, when they blocked each other in qualifying, and got worse, with both hardly speaking to each other at the end of the season, but engaging openly in public sniping.

But the Spaniard's exit will also heap extra pressure on to Hamilton as the de facto McLaren number one.

606: DEBATE All the ingredients seem to be there for a Grand Prix season of impeccable vintage Andrew Benson - BBC Sport

Having a double world champion in the ranks meant the inexperienced Hamilton had someone to aim at; and to learn from.

"Alonso did a lot of good work at McLaren last season and Hamilton was the beneficiary of that and used it to his advantage," former McLaren driver John Watson told BBC Sport.

"Without Alonso, Hamilton doesn't have a pathfinder in the team."

In the season ahead, Hamilton must shoulder the dual responsibility of fighting for the championship and leading the team technically; a challenge he has not faced before.

Alonso's return to Renault was mirrored by 2007 rookie Heikki Kovalainen moving in the opposite direction.

The Finn, who won 30 points in his debut season, is at the least expected to neutralise McLaren's driver relationship.

After being released by Renault, following Alonso's return, Kovalainen might be expected to be grateful to be given the drive by Ron Dennis's team and will arrive with few demands and expectations.

While Hamilton must guide the team forward, Kovalainen's job is to support him and take as many points from the team's rivals as possible.

Will the new McLaren team-mates still be smiling once racing begins?

With a new car to get to grips with, the 26-year-old is not expected to challenge Hamilton for pace - at least not at first.

But Kovalainen is highly rated and determined, and that may well not stay the case for ever.

"It is very, very easy to under-rate Kovalainen," warns 5 Live analyst Maurice Hamilton. "He had a nightmare car for a novice and could give Hamilton a hard time."

The Finn demonstrated his battling ability when he held off Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen to claim second in wet conditions in Japan.

And as a rookie he almost immediately began to out-perform his more experienced Renault team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.

If Kovalainen starts to beat Hamilton, that could trigger off more internal pressure for Hamilton.

And this time it would not be a double world champion denting Hamilton's pride, it will be a driver of equal experience.

Throughout a life-changing 12 months, there were few cracks in Hamilton's calm and focused public exterior, and most of the time the big grin was fixed in place too.

Despite complaining about autograph hunters pursuing him at the cinema and petrol stations, Hamilton coped well with the frenzy of attention.

The 23-year-old has sensibly chosen to step further away from the media microscope by moving from Woking to Geneva.

Hamilton is close to his father Anthony and half-brother Nicholas, but is expected to take the separation from his family in his stride.

Hamilton has got the potential to rewrite the history books 5 Live analyst Maurice Hamilton

Hamilton has also had to contend with his mentor Dennis, pondering his future at the team.

Dennis was considering stepping down from at least one of his three roles, but although he has now decided to stay on, the uncertainty over the man who has guided his career for a decade cannot have been easy for Hamilton.

Despite all the variables that could affect Hamilton's second season in Formula One, two certainties remain - his exceptional talent and high personal standards.

CAN HAMILTON WIN THE 2008 TITLE? Former champion Damon Hill: "He will be very strong but it will be difficult because no one will be surprised by him" BBC Radio 5 Live analyst Maurice Hamilton: "If McLaren give him the car he's capable of winning the title" Former McLaren driver John Watson: "It's very likely he'll win. In Melbourne, he'll stand there like a gladiator saying 'I'll have any of you'" Four-time champion Alain Prost: "Lewis will be the top guy, he has more experience now"

Hamilton will not accept defeat by anyone, coming second is simply no good to him; and the 23-year-old has already stated his ultimate aim in 2008 is to win the drivers' crown.

Whether he goes one better and claims the 2008 title, or if Kimi Raikkonen defends his crown, Hamilton seems destined to stay at the pinnacle of motorsport for some time to come.

"I've seen the debut of Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost but I've never, ever seen anything like Lewis Hamilton," says Maurice Hamilton.

"I've never seen anyone arrive with such a rush; and the fact that Alonso was his team-mate and he blew him away tells you all you need to know.

"Even though Michael Schumacher has pushed all the records beyond reach; Hamilton has got the potential to rewrite the history books."