One of Formula One’s new rookie drivers of the upcoming 2007 championship season, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes protégé, Lewis Hamilton, has been hard at work as he prepares to make his Grand Prix debut at the season opening Australian Grand Prix in just over two weeks time.

Aside from pounding the test track in Bahrain recently, Lewis has been putting in extra time back at the team’s Woking factory….

"I am at the workshop everyday during the week," Hamilton said. "I am spending as much time as possible with my engineers. Really studying the data, learning as much as possible, and it all seems to be flowing nicely. I am taking it step by step. That is the best way."

Lewis was working alongside his teammate, Fernando Alonso in Bahrain last week where the team completed the final day at the top of the timesheets as they worked on the development of the new MP4-22, making the most of the warm ambient and track temperatures.

Lewis had an engine failure on the third and final day of the test, which caused a minor disruption to his program as it happened an hour before the end of the session. However, there were no concerns as the engine in his MP4-22 had completed over 1,200km and survived beyond its contingency mileage.        

“Alongside the overall test plan, which has seen us cover final sign-offs on elements such as software and the Melbourne specification, our time in Bahrain is also focusing on Bridgestone Potenza evaluation in the higher temperatures,” Lewis said. “I haven’t driven on the Bahrain track since 2004, so it is also really useful to get some laps in prior to the Grand Prix.”

The team returns to the test track today for a further three days of testing before packing up and heading down under for round one.