Hamilton out to build on 'small step'

LewisHamilton - Cropped

Lewis Hamilton refuses to read too much into his winning start to the Formula One season as he aims for further success in Malaysia.

The British reigning world champion opened the campaign with victory at the Australian Grand Prix, which Mercedes dominated.

Kuala Lumpur was the first of four straight wins for Hamilton in 2014, when he claimed the title ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton said his focus had been purely on Sepang since his win in Melbourne.

"Australia was a great way to start. To pick up where we left off last year was awesome," he said.

"But if 2014 showed anything, it's that putting together a whole season is never easy. Winning the first race is just one small step in a long journey and I'm not reading anything into it.

"The next step is Malaysia and that’s all I've been focusing on since we left Melbourne."

Mercedes' dominance is unlikely to slow down, and Hamilton is eager to repeat his success from Malaysia a year ago.

The 30-year-old said the heat and humidity would be the biggest tests.

"I can't wait to get back out there and I can't wait to get to Sepang. It's a great circuit, a home race for Petronas and a country I really enjoy going to," Hamilton said.

"The people are so welcoming and the support we had there as a team last year was amazing. Of course, the race itself is really tough with the heat and humidity.

"But I feel ready for anything right now and the aim is to repeat last year's performance.

"It took me eight attempts to win this race when I finally made it to the top step last year and I don't plan on waiting that long again."

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