Manor not surprised by Hamilton success.

While the British media milks the arrival of Lewis Hamilton for all it is worth, there are those to whom the Briton's success in Formula One is no surprise.

Among those who almost expected Hamilton to create a stir when he made his debut with McLaren is Tony Shaw, who was the 22-year old's team manager during his two-year tenure in the Formula Renault UK Championship.

Shaw, a stalwart of the Manor Motorsport concern that ran Hamilton in both FRenault and F3, played a key role during the Briton's first two seasons of car racing, which culminated in a dominant title win during the 2003 UK campaign. However, even then, the youngster was making waves, having arrived in Formula Renault UK with great fanfare due to his outstanding success in karting, which had led to the association with McLaren and Ron Dennis.

After claiming his maiden category win from pole position during the fifth round of the main 2002 season, Hamilton went on to finish third overall in the driver standings, marking himself out as pre-season favourite for 2003. He didn't disappoint and went on to dominate Formula Renault UK that year, winning the title with two rounds to spare before moving on to Manor's F3 operation in the Euroseries.

As one of the people closest to Hamilton during his formative career, Shaw - now the owner of Manor Competition, the re-branded name of Manor Motorsport's FRenault operation - is proud of the youngster's outstanding achievements.

"I know I speak for everyone who worked with Manor in 2002 and 2003 when I say we're all very, very proud of Lewis' achievements," he said, "When he first tested with us in 2001, it was obvious he would go on to become champion in Formula Renault UK.

"The sky truly is the limit for Lewis. He's obviously had a tremendous journey already, from karting through to Formula Renault, the F3 Euroseries and then on to GP2 and now F1. Finishing on the podium in every grand prix since he made his debut is nothing short of unbelievable but, to those of us who have worked with Lewis, it's no surprise.

"Of course, Lewis has had an amazing opportunity with McLaren and it's worked out perfectly for him the team has such a competitive car this year, but he still has to go out there and compete against the best drivers in the world. His victory in Canada really should be the first of many. I'm absolutely delighted for him.

"The success isn't just fantastic for Lewis and his family, it's terrific for Formula Renault UK and British motorsport as a whole. We're very proud indeed to have been part of this amazing story."

Manor has a long tradition of nurturing outstanding talent and a year before Hamilton arrived on the scene, a Finn by the name of Kimi Raikkonen capped a similarly spectacular junior career with championship victory in 2000 as a Manor Motorsport driver. Surprising the motorsport establishment by moving straight from Formula Renault UK to a Sauber F1 car the following year, Raikkonen won races with McLaren and is now, of course, driving for Ferrari.

"Kimi and Lewis are very different characters and have contrasting approaches to their racing," Shaw added, "Having worked with both though, I can say they have two great similarities - they're incredibly rare talents and they're both bloody quick! Such talented drivers are very few and far between and Manor is infinitely proud to have played a part in both careers."