By Alan Baldwin

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Lewis Hamilton will only get stronger over the next decade even if, as Formula One's youngest champion said on Monday, he has no burning desire to break Michael Schumacher's records.

Taking the title after a heart stopping last lap in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, the 23-year-old McLaren driver has in two seasons already ripped up the time-honoured script that newcomers are supposed to follow.

The Briton has won nine of his 35 grands prix, started on pole 13 times, scored more points (207) and taken more podiums (22) than any other driver in that time period.

Schumacher, winner of seven titles and 91 grands prix, had savoured just one victory by the time he was the same age as Hamilton.

"Just to get to one (title) has been unbelievably hard, hopefully the next one will be easier," Hamilton told reporters.

"The rules change every year and its going to be just as competitive every year.

"I have great drivers like (Ferrari's) Felipe (Massa), Heikki (Kovalainen), my team mate. They are always going to be pushing me, so to beat them every year is going to be tough.

"But each year I will get stronger. People say the second year is harder, but I don't particularly agree," continued Britain's first champion since Damon Hill in 1996.

"I think you just get stronger, you learn from your mistakes, and hopefully I will continue to grow as a driver. If that means winning more championships, then so be it."

MULTIPLE WINNERS

McLaren's team boss Ron Dennis, who has worked with multiple champions like the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna and Frenchman Alain Prost, had little doubt that he had another such talent on his hands.

"Of course, no racing driver goes very far if he's sat on the grid in his underpants," he said, revelling in McLaren's first title since Mika Hakkinen in 1999.

"They have to have the car, and it's our intention to try and give it to him. But at the moment, I can see no reason why the momentum of his career is going to falter.

"He has become even more mature both in and out of the car and the experience yesterday will only be another stepping stone in his career."

The rules are changing significantly next season and Hamilton, who said losing the title last year had also made him stronger, faces tough competition from a new wave of drivers just as young as him.

BMW-Sauber's 23-year-old Robert Kubica won plenty of votes in the paddock for most consistent driver of the year while Toro Rosso's 21-year-old German Sebastian Vettel emerged as the youngest ever race winner.

Massa has shaken off his reputation for being quick but inconsistent and Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso is likely to be far more of a contender next season after scoring more points than anyone in the last eight races.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 champion, cannot wait to wipe the slate clean and start again.

The fact that the drivers' championship has gone down to the wire in the last three years, with the last two being decided by a single point, speaks volumes for the intensity of the competition.

If Mercedes-backed McLaren can build Hamilton a quick and reliable car, and if the Briton is not overwhelmed by his fame and fortune, he can expect to be a contender for years to come.

"Going into next year we are going to analyse everything that has happened this year and try and correct things, subtle changes that could have a huge impact on the result," said Hamilton on Monday.

"We're going to work hard on the car, I want to be fitter when I get to the first race...just focusing on trying not to make those mistakes, trying to keep things more consistent.

"I'm not saying I'm going to change my driving. That's what got me here. I will always take it to the edge," he added.

"From this race I learned to take a step back, knowing I had to score a certain amount of points, which I did. Having that experience, that I can do it when I need to, means next year I'll be stronger."