Sir Frank Williams, who masterminded Britain’s most recent World Championship success in Formula One when Damon Hill won the title in 1996, joined the chorus of praise for Lewis Hamilton yesterday, joking that the young British star has shown “superhuman” qualities.

Williams was talking in Bahrain after Hamilton had driven to second place at the grand prix there on Sunday — his third podium finish in three starts for McLaren Mercedes, making him the most successful rookie in Formula One history.

Comparing him to Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion, who retired from the sport at the end of last season, Williams said: “I thought after we got rid of Michael, ‘Now we’ve got a chance again.’ But then another superhuman turns up.

“Michael was many things, but he was also a very simple human. Hamilton is a different character, but purely in terms of calibre or quality of skill, what I’m seeing so early in this man’s career is remarkable.”

Williams, whose cars driven by Nico Rosberg and Alex Wörz, are distant blue-and-white blobs in Hamilton’s mirrors, has no doubt that the 22-year-old Briton is good news. “Hamilton is still a baby, so to speak, but he is dishing out loads of trouble already,” Williams said. “I mean that in the nicest possible way. I cry he’s not in a Williams, but I rejoice for Formula One.”

Niki Lauda, the three-time world champion who was also in Bahrain, believes that the young driver’s “education” in motor racing by Ron Dennis, the McLaren team principal, is the key to his success.

“He had a perfect build-up, which nobody has ever done before,” Lauda said. “Ron, or somebody, took care of him since he was 12 and then they realised the talent in him and made him race in one category after another in such a perfect way that he won most of them.”