Lewis Hamilton is hoping his friendship with McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen can help him win the Formula One world title at the second attempt.

Hamilton led the drivers' championship for most of his first season in the competition and he was only beaten to the title by Kimi Raikkonen in the final race.

Last season he was driving alongside Fernando Alonso, who was the reigning world champion, and their relationship became strained as they battled with each other.

But Alonso returned to Renault at the end of the year and Hamilton will be the senior driver at McLaren.

Hamilton and Kovalainen have been friends since they were competing in go-kart competitions so there is unlikely to be a repeat of tlast season's tension.

Hamilton said: "He's been very, very easy, gets on with all the team, very easy to approach and is working very hard, as I am, to push the team. I feel we push the team, sort of, on a level playing field so it's more of a balanced force to push them forward."

The first race of the season takes place in Australia on Sunday and Hamilton feels he is better equipped to win races this year.

He added: "Now I've experienced how to prepare for a Grand Prix, this year I can do a lot better. And also, going into the first race, I know I've been here before. So I know the circuit. So it's a little bit more of a relaxed feeling and all these different events are not such a surprise to me.

"The car is better and really a lot of the decisive moments and all the life-changing experiences I had last year I think really helped prepare me for what is coming up this year. So I feel definitely more confident, more relaxed, but even more determined."

Kovalainen spent last season driving for Renault and finished in seventh place in the drivers championship.

He believes Hamilton can help him to become even more competitive.

The Finn said: "We've got to work together to improve the team, improve the package, and then on the track we try to fight each other. But I think we can still stay friends and we can push the team forward together."

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