Hamilton believes he will be a winner this season

McLaren rookie Lewis Hamilton, already the only driver in Formula One history to finish his first three races on the podium, feels he can be a winner this season.

"Yes. I don't want that to come across as a cocky answer, it is just my feeling," he said in an interview conducted by the team on Friday.

The 22-year-old Briton finished third on his debut in Australia in March and has followed that up with two second places.

The Circuit de Catalunya, which hosts next week's Spanish Grand Prix, will be team mate and double world champion Fernando Alonso's home race but Hamilton also feels comfortable at the track.

Apart from testing, he also raced there in the GP2 support series last year.

"Last year I had a mega race there, even though I finished second," said Hamilton. "I hope this year I can do one step better."

Britain's most recent Formula One champions, Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell, are among a chorus hailing Hamilton as a future champion.

"The first win definitely gives added confidence," 1992 champion Mansell told the weekly Autosport magazine this week. "But given the confidence he's already shown, what comes next should be really impressive."