Hamilton and Raikkonen ready for battle

By Alan Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton has one aim this season: to beat Kimi Raikkonen and become Formula One's youngest champion.

The 23-year-old McLaren driver has swallowed the disappointment of losing out by a single point last year after Ferrari's Finn roared back from 17 points down with two races remaining.

Hamilton, who won four races in an astonishing debut season that started with nine straight podium finishes and could so easily have ended with him becoming the first rookie champion, is eager for the rematch.

"I am more determined to beat him this year," the sport's first black driver told reporters in January.

"I just feel more determined this year. I know what I want," added Hamilton, who has secured a lucrative new deal with McLaren and relocated to Switzerland since becoming a household name in Britain.

"I knew what I wanted last year but it was sort of having that desire but not really knowing how to fill the shoes 100 percent."

"I honestly believe I can do a better job the second time."

The Australian Grand Prix on March 16 will be the opening skirmish on a battleground stretching around the world and including new street circuits in Singapore and Valencia, with the Asian state hosting the first night race in September.