Two of Lewis Hamilton's contemporaries and rivals have credited the young Briton's meteoric rise to 2007 title contention last year to talent and a healthy dose of luck, thereby echoing those who had previously pointed out that most rookies do not enter F1 within the structure of a top team.

22-year-old Nico Rosberg is a highly-rated driver for Williams, yet with his team still working on providing a victory-capable car, he will commence a third Formula One season next Sunday without having scored a single podium place so far.

The German says Briton Hamilton is very talented but admits that his instant success as a McLaren rookie last year was "definitely frustrating."

"He's a bastard! He sneaked in from behind and jumped ahead of me," Rosberg jokingly told the Daily Telegraph. "But F1 involves luck and chance -- it's a matter of being with the right team at the right moment."

Toyota newcomer Timo Glock, meanwhile, succeeds Hamilton as the reigning GP2 champion. He similarly thinks timing played a role in the McLaren driver's highly-lauded campaign last year.

"Lewis was just there in the right moment, in the right car," he said in an interview with Reuters. "He did a good job but in the end it's not one hero doing everything. It's a team sport. You have to have the right package and the right timing."

"That's what Lewis had last year," Glock added.