17/06/2007 22:36

Hamilton, 22, maturing with each race, won for the second successive weekend to extend his record start to the season and maintain his domination of team-mate and defending drivers' champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who finished second.

"What a dream!" he said. "To come to these two races (in Canada and in the US) and win first time out twice is just amazing. But this is really due to the quality of the team back in Europe and here at the track. Without all the guys, it would be impossible."

Hamilton's triumph lifted him to 58 points after an amazing succession of results - third in Australia, second in Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain and then Monaco, followed by two wins in North America. McLaren, with 106 points, lead Ferrari, on 71, in the constructors' championship.

"I could see a lot of British flags here and that gave me great energy, I draw a lot from them," said a remarkably cool Hamilton after the race.

Very professional

"I came under a lot of pressure from Fernando today and it was very close at times, but he was so professional.

"We raced really hard. My tyres went off in the second stint. I think they were graining, probably because I pushed too hard! They came on the radio in the third stint and told me there are 15 laps to go and those laps seemed to last forever."

Alonso came home second ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa and his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen of Finland. Another Finn Heikki Kovalainen was fifth for Renault, Italian Jarno Trulli sixth for Toyota and Australian Mark Webber seventh for Red Bull.

German teenager Sebastien Vettel, just 19, finished eighth to collect a point in his debut race in Formula One as replacement for Poland's Robert Kubica in a BMW. Kubica was deemed unfit to race following his huge accident in Canada where he escaped, amazingly, with only a sprained ankle.

Alonso, crestfallen, managed to embrace Hamilton with a smile after the race. He said: "I got close, sometimes very close, but not close enough to overtake him. On this track it is very difficult to pass and if you chasing a car in front like I was then you wear your tyres a lot more."

He added that he was glad to score eight points and keep his championship campaign alive and said he was now looking forward to the French Grand Prix in two weeks time.

The closest that Alonso came to passing his teammate and rival was on lap 38 when the pair went side by side on the main straight at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but Hamilton, as he did at the start when he made the most of his second pole position, resisted the pressure and did not make a mistake.

Can hardly believe it

His father Anthony Hamilton said: "I know it is Father's Day at home in Britain so this is fantastic for me - but I can honestly say I can hardly believe it. He was so cool, under so much pressure and he learned a lot.

"We are both homesick now after being away for two weeks and we both want to go home and see the family. I hope we can have some time together next weekend and maybe crack open the champagne then!"

Hamilton's accomplished performance underlined his extraordinary talent again and now, after only seven races in Formula One he has yet to finish off the podium.

The Indianapolis crowd was estimated to be more than 100 000 and, judging by the amount of replica McLaren team uniforms on display, Hamilton had struck a chord with the American people who are keen to compare him to another ground-breaking Afro-Caribbean sportsman, Tiger Woods.

While comparisons with Woods may be premature, it is clear that Hamilton has the potential to become the first rookie world champion since Italian Nino Farina in 1950, the first championship year.

His performance, from lights to flag, was that of a consummate winner again and after crossing the line he told his team on their radio system: "We brought it home! We did it guys. I love you all. Fantastic job."

As the feelings were reciprocated, it was not difficult to feel sorry for Alonso who had complained earlier in the week of feeling isolated as a Spaniard in an English team where he is also a newcomer.

This time, however, there could be no complaints. He was beaten fair and square and in a contest where both drivers were given full freedom to race hard.

McLaren's team director Martin Whitmarsh said: "They were racing hard and we, as a team, had a few heart-stopping moments, but it was a great performance."