David Coulthard column: 'Lewis Hamilton has a different aura'

Four races into the 2015 Formula 1 season, it has been a dream start for Lewis Hamilton.

After winning the world championship in 2014, Hamilton had a solid pre-season testing programme but there was no indication of him blitzing the lap times.

He went into the season with some question marks about the transition in his private life, following his split with former girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger.

But he hit the ground running in Melbourne and everything we have seen since - including his victory in Bahrain on Sunday - is a happy, relaxed racing driver.

He seems to have developed the ability Mika Hakkinen had of being either unaware of, or unaffected by, whatever is happening in the media or the world around him, outside of driving his racing car and whatever his private passion is away from the race track.

Mika Hakkinen was the 1998 and 1999 Formula One world champion

There is a different aura about Hamilton this year. He seems more aware and connected than before.
I found him a bit distant for a while, almost as if you would have to reintroduce yourself; you know: "My name's David, I used to be a grand prix driver."

Now, he's reflecting on that, he'll mention it, comment on it. It's not like we lost Lewis, but he is certainly now completely comfortable with who he is, right down to his own sense of style and fashion, which Mercedes are happy to let him express.

At the same time, he is not allowing that to distance him from his past - after all, the F1 paddock is full of people he has either worked with, competed against or who have helped him along the way.