Lewis Hamilton insists he fully expects Ferrari to bounce back at this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix after their disastrous start to the 2008 Formula One season in Melbourne.
Both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa retired from the Australian Grand Prix with engine failures, though the former did at least have the consolation of a world championship point after Rubens Barrichello's Honda was disqualified.
While the Italian team were left to reflect on their misfortune, Hamilton was cruising to victory at Albert Park to strike the first blow in this season's championship race.
But with Ferrari confident they have got to the root of their mechanical woes - a broken valve in the engine was apparently to blame - Hamilton is under no illusions he will be in for a much harder time in Sepang from the team expected to once again prove McLaren's main rivals as the season unfolds.
"I expect them to be as strong as they were last weekend but perhaps without the problems that they had," he said.
"They can't really have a much worse weekend than they did last weekend. I'm sure they'll recover and do a better job than last weekend but they were quite strong here last year as well, especially during the race.
"So we'll have to look out for them."
Hamilton finished second behind team-mate Fernando Alonso last year in only the Briton's second Formula One race, enticing pole-sitter Massa into a mistake along the way that effectively ruined the Brazilian's race.
It was the second of what turned out to be nine consecutive podium appearances for the 23-year-old as his debut season ended with him missing out on becoming the first rookie champion in the sport's history by a single point to Raikkonen.
But Hamilton believes last year's tumultuous campaign - that featured as much action off the track as on it - helped him mature as a driver regardless of the outcome.
"I think after a long season, it takes some time to come down and also then to rebuild," he said. "To start building on the foundations you've made, and there were a few of them last season.
"I had a very good season last year, perhaps with not the best ending, but I learnt so much that going into this season I start at a much higher point than I did last year.
"Confidence and training has been much better going into the first race than it was last year just because of the experience.
"We know what to do, so I think overall I'm in much better shape."
That claim was borne out by the manner of last Sunday's victory, when Hamilton insisted he was driving within himself even though he had to negotiate three safety car periods.
"Being in front you're able to pace yourself and to just stay on top of things," he added.
"I'm not going to say by how much I could have gone faster, you don't really know, but I was still pushing. It wasn't the case that I was short-shifting everywhere.
"There were a lot of variants last year. I came in, everything was new to me, so I was on the limit everywhere. I was on the limit on the pit lane, I was on the limit on the exit of the pits.
"I was on the limit from the first lap to the end of the race and perhaps I consumed more energy mentally and physically than I needed to.
"This year, I have it a lot more under control, I can control it a lot better."
Hamilton also reiterated he would not be joining the Grand Prix Drivers' Association despite being urged to sign up to the body that liaises with the FIA on safety issues.
"I'm quite comfortable with the way I am. I shouldn't be pressured into doing anything, at any time," he said.
source : www.sportinglife.com
