Hamilton's next step

The new Formula One world champion is set to be the richest sportsman in the world. So what is next for Lewis Hamilton?

Lewis Hamilton punches the air as he wins the British Grand Prix in July. The newly crowned world champion will now have new challenges ahead after fulfilling his dream.

The last two years have been dedicated to winning the world title, and he finally climbed that mountain on Sunday in Sao Paolo. He has become the sport's youngest world champion at the age of 23 years and 301 days, and that, remarkably, comes only 35 races into his fledgling career.

He can enjoy the winter months counting the money that will be coming to him. He penned a five-year deal with his team McLaren-Mercedes worth a reported £75million (Dh446m) in January, and with team deals and private sponsorships already lined up, Hamilton is predicted to usurp the golfer Tiger Woods as the richest sportsman in the world in the not too distant future. The next target is to retain his title next year in what should be another unpredictable season.

Damon Hill, who was the last British world champion in 1996, believes that Hamilton can go on to dominate now that he has a championship under his belt. "He has got a world championship in the bank and I think he is going to be difficult to stop from now on," he said. The young man from Stevenage in the county of Hertfordshire has already amassed a number of records, but the question now is just how good can he be?

Although there are a number of talented drivers on the grid it would be a major shock if more championships did not come. Michael Schumacher holds the record with seven titles and reaching that target is plausible when you think Hamilton has won one title and been runner-up once already - arguably in not the quickest car in the field. It took Schumacher three full seasons to win his first title so Hamilton is already ahead on that front.

Realistically though, the next target is to try to improve his consistency after a year full of excellent drives, but also naive mistakes. Hamilton has often spoken of his high regard for the three-times world champion Ayrton Senna, and he admitted that claiming his maiden title in the Brazilian's home city added to the moment. "It is special to win the championship here in Brazil, but then on Senna's home ground, it was always going to be special," he said.

Senna was the star of Formula One in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Brazilian's stunning speed, peerless driving in the rain, and the willingness to be ruthless against his rivals caught a young Hamilton's attention. There have been glimpses of brilliance from Hamilton already, and he has inherited the rain master title for his generation. The next step, as well as more titles and wins, is to improve his consistency and demonstrate a style of racing that will see his name included in the bracket of the heroes.

Hamilton has taken his first steps towards greatness, watching what he does from here should be fascinating. [e-mail]