Lewis Hamilton is still in the fight for the 2011 world championship.
That is the insistence of his father Anthony Hamilton, who after splitting with the McLaren driver as manager now handles the career of Force India rookie Paul di Resta.

Even before crashing out of the recent Canadian grand prix, 26-year-old Hamilton said of Sebastian Vettel’s runaway points lead: “He’s gone, he’s on his way.”

Then, in the Montreal race, Hamilton’s retirement dropped him behind his teammate Jenson Button and also Mark Webber in the drivers’ standings, a full 76 points shy of Vettel’s lead.

“For me, Valencia will be a weekend of consolidation after two disappointing results in Monaco and Canada,” said the Briton.

But Hamilton’s father thinks a merely solid result is an underestimation of his son’s true potential, tipping him to take the chequered flag by the time of the season finale in late November.

“If I were a gambling man, I’d put some money on Lewis winning the championship this year,” Hamilton snr told the Daily Mail. “You’ll get some great odds. He can do it.”

At present, 2008 world champion Hamilton is about 14/1 to win his second title in 2011, while Red Bull’s Vettel is the overwhelming odds-on favourite.

Said Lewis Hamilton: “We’ve arguably had the fastest race car in the last three races, and that’s really encouraging because I know that, when it’s put to best use, I should be able to finish at the front.”

Sebastian Vettel needs to accept the reality of a number 2 role for the good of Red Bull’s 2010 title chances.

That is the claim of former triple world champion and outspoken commentator Niki Lauda, following reports the young German is reluctant to give up the chase for his first title in deference to the team’s points leader Mark Webber.

The news also follows boss Christian Horner’s insistence that the team will “support both (drivers) equally” in Brazil and Abu Dhabi “in line with Red Bull’s credible sporting ethos”.

But with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso leading the championship and fully backed by his teammate Felipe Massa, Lauda said Red Bull’s policy is a road to failure.

“Red Bull needs to establish the team hierarchy now,” the great Austrian is quoted by Bild newspaper.

“If they don’t get behind Mark Webber, they may have to go without the title.”

Lauda’s only concern is that the exercising of team orders within Red Bull is done in a way that does not “cheat the spectators”.

Jos Verstappen, who in the mid-90s at Benetton was Michael Schumacher’s number 2, agrees that Vettel should be playing that role now.

“Purely mathematically, he has a chance to be champion. But as a team they really have to put everything behind Webber.

“He (Webber) has a better chance of winning the title,” the Dutchman wrote in his column for De Telegraaf newspaper.

“Of course it’s a difficult position for Red Bull, as the whole world knows who they would prefer to be in the best position.

“It’s unfortunate for Vettel, but with his engine failure in Korea his championship did literally go up in smoke,” added Verstappen.

But Horner sounds unlikely to have a change of heart, telling the BBC he finds it “frustrating” that 7 points of leader Alonso’s 11 point lead was due to inheriting the German grand prix win from his teammate Massa.

“It (losing the title to Alonso) would be frustrating because we’ve obviously worked under the auspices that team orders have been illegal,” he told BBC radio.

Rumours that Korea will have to call off its formula one debut in October are refusing to go away.

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting visited the site in the South Cholla province recently, amid organiser KAVO’s insistence the facility is nearing completion.

But at the same time, an unnamed official of the Korea Auto Valley Operation admitted the track is “delayed”, after an earlier completion schedule called for a July handover to F1 authorities.

And a report in Spain’s sports daily AS says the new completion date of late August may also now be delayed.

The newspaper said the actual circuit and security features will be ready in time, but that KAVO is “far behind with the construction of the grandstands, pits, control buildings and the press room”.

AS said the Motorland Aragon venue in Spain could replace Korea’s October 22-24 race date, so that the full 19 races take place this season.

Said Whiting after his recent visit: “There is still work to be done, but the circuit should be ready in good time for the first grand prix.

“Weekly progress reports will be submitted to the FIA and a further inspection will be carried out in six to seven weeks.”

Jun.9 (GMM)  F1 is unlikely to consider three-car team entries while the grid is already healthily subscribed.

That is the insistence of FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh, amid Ferrari’s continuing enthusiasm about entering a third Maranello built car for a driver like Valentino Rossi.

Rossi, however, broke his leg in a MotoGP practice crash last Saturday, and now Whitmarsh has revealed that the issue of three cars has not recently been discussed by the F1 teams association.

“It’s really an idea if you get a reduced number of teams,” said the McLaren boss.

Ferrari is a staunch critic of F1′s struggling new teams, but Whitmarsh insists that FOTA wants the entire current grid to “develop and flourish”.

“McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes would all probably be happy to have a third car, but I think in fairness to the smaller teams it would only disadvantage them further,” he explained.

However, if the big teams were able to enter third cars, Whitmarsh acknowledges that it would be an opportunity for celebrity drivers like Rossi, Sebastien Loeb and NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson.

“So in the event that the number of teams drops below 10 – and at the moment we’re hoping it is 13 next year – it would be a fantastic opportunity,” added Whitmarsh.

Bernie Ecclestone is not happy that the formula one circus departed Turkey last weekend without resolving the issue of tyre supply for 2011.

The sport touched down at Istanbul Park amid strong speculation that Pirelli had been selected and would be confirmed as F1′s new supplier by the time the event was over.

But according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, it was FOTA’s powerful teams McLaren, Ferrari and Renault who invited Michelin’s Nick Shorrock to make a presentation to all the teams on Sunday.

Indeed, Shorrock indicated to Auto Hebdo in an interview that Michelin’s proposal had not substantially changed.

“We realised that it could be helpful to come and explain in more detail to all the teams the detail of our proposal,” he said.

“The goal of the meeting was simply to go into more detail,” added Shorrock.

Williams’ Adam Parr emerged from the 90 minute meeting and said: “It is taking a bit longer than we would have liked but it should be done in the next few days.”

F1 chief executive Ecclestone is unhappy it is taking this long.

“Why keep talking about it; everything has been discussed,” said the 79-year-old Briton.  “We should sign a contract now.”

It is believed Pirelli remains in pole position for the deal, given Michelin’s insistence that the rules be changed to allow the possibility of more than one tyre supplier entering the sport.

“This is more of a philosophical question for Michelin,” FOTA chairman and McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh said.

“They would be happy to be alone for five years, but on paper they need for there to be the chance of having a competitor.”

(GMM)