Lewis Hamilton has dropped a strong hint about his future beyond 2012, indicating he will decide his future soon.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner has ruled out the 2008 world champion as Sebastian Vettel’s new teammate, while rumours persist that Mercedes sees Hamilton, 27, as a potential successor to Michael Schumacher.

But rumours in Melbourne indicate Mercedes is almost ready to extend Schumacher’s contract, intensifying talk that Briton Hamilton will similarly stay at McLaren.

He told reporters in Melbourne the first four races of 2012 will be key.

“They will definitely play a role,” said Hamilton.

“My decision will be based on more than just the car. When you make a decision on your future it’s the whole package, it’s various things.

“I’m happy to be here (at McLaren),” he added. “I’ll leave it to my management to take care of the rest.”

With Jenson Button the standout performer at McLaren last year amid Hamilton’s personal problems, the 2008 world champion said his immediate focus is to get back on form.

“It is a great privilege to be here but it is easy to come and go. Let’s hope I can stay here (in F1),” he said.

Fernando Alonso has blamed the British media for his image as a spoilt number 1 driver.

O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio asked the Spaniard if it is true that all is well inside his team so long as he does not share equal status with his teammate.

“That is a belief that was created in 2007,” said the Ferrari driver, referring to his ill-fated single season alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.

“The reason was the contamination of the media, particularly the British.

“I have been in formula one for 11 years. For ten, I was the consummate professional,” he explained. “Engineers, mechanics and my teammates could not say a word against my professionalism.

“But in 2007, McLaren, the English press, week after week, contaminated our relationship, which was not bad. That is what led to this general impression about me.

“But nothing changes for me, my values stay the same. When I went onto the market, the offers I received were as great before and after 2007,” added Alonso.

Another perception is that Alonso, 30, is enjoying a position of privilege at Ferrari due to his links with main sponsor Santander, a Spanish bank.

“Good, no?” he laughed. “Everyone can talk and think what they like, it’s part of the sport — the media too, especially with the internet.”

F1′s next stop is Singapore, where Alonso won not only last year but also in 2008, when his Renault teammate Nelson Piquet deliberately crashed to bring out the safety car.

The Spaniard insists he still counts the victory among his best.

“There is something about the track that suits my driving style,” said Alonso. “I know it’s strange to you, but the victory of 2008 is just as special as the one of last year.”

The days are over when Ferrari is seen to enjoy a position of privilege in formula one.
That is the belief of two highly experienced F1 paddock veterans; the Brazilian journalist Livio Oricchio, and Red Bull’s technical boss Adrian Newey.

The former, who writes for the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, said Pirelli’s choice of tyre compound for next weekend’s British grand prix is proof Ferrari can no longer overtly exert its influence.

The Italian team very publicly pushed for the official supplier to swerve its hardest compound for Silverstone, but Pirelli insisted that its final decision was the result of equal consultation with all 12 teams.

“Today’s reality for Ferrari in formula one is different,” wrote Oricchio, referring to the period when former Minardi owner Paul Stoddart quipped that FIA actually stands for Ferrari International Assistance.

Newey, who during that period a decade ago was with McLaren, remembers it well.

“There was a period around 2002 when there seemed to be so much politics in F1, particularly between Ferrari and the FIA and what they were allowed to get away with,” he told The Sun.

“I became disillusioned with the whole sport and started to look around for what else I could do. I needed a fresh challenge and found it with Red Bull. I am really enjoying it at the moment,” added Newey.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted it is no longer a special feeling to beat seven time world champion Michael Schumacher.

When the 41-year-old German announced his return to formula one for 2010, McLaren driver Hamilton said it will be “an honour and privilege” to go wheel to wheel with one of his childhood heroes.

“He is one of the sport’s greatest competitors, a legend — it will be great to compete against him,” said the 2008 world champion, whose F1 career began the season after Schumacher initially retired four years ago.

“It doesn’t matter whether I win or lose.  The fact I will be able to drive alongside Schumacher is something I can carry all my life,” added Hamilton.

But 15 races into Schumacher’s difficult comeback, the 25-year-old Briton admits the thrill has gone.

“In the beginning I was very excited about his comeback,” Hamilton is quoted by TZ newspaper during a recent visit to Germany.

“But now it’s not the same because he is mostly racing behind me.  In this respect there is no value in my beating him,” he revealed.

Organisers of the Abu Dhabi grand prix insist they have no qualms about losing the coveted final slot on formula one calendar.

The impressive Yas Marina circuit was scheduled to close the last two calendars, but for 2011 that privilege is reverting to Brazil.

“We’re not disappointed at all, we’re happy with it,” track chief executive Richard Cregan is quoted by local newspaper The National.

“It’s always been our intention to feature at the latter end of the calendar, but not to necessarily be the last round. The penultimate race could well be a championship decider, but that’s not our priority,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mohammed ben Sulayem, president of the United Arab Emirates’ motor racing sanctioning body, said Abu Dhabi is also happy with the event’s unique day/night format.

“It went perfectly last year, so why change it? The day-to-night timing, in terms of international broadcasting and our spectators at Yas, is perfect,” he said.

Jun.18 (GMM)  Niki Lauda is on the lookout for a new sponsor for his famous red cap.

Ever since a near-fatal shunt in 1976 left him with head and facial scars, the iconic Austrian racer, businessman and TV commentator has sold the commercial rights to the front of his ever-present baseball cap.

For more than two decades, ‘Parmalat’ paid for the privilege, and in 2002 the German heating company ‘Viessmann’ took over the deal.

In 2007, the name and logo of the Swiss machinery maker ‘Oerlikon’ began adorning 60-year-old Lauda’s head, with speculation suggesting an annual six-figure sum.

The daily Osterreich newspaper is now reporting that the Oerlikon deal is set to lapse at the end of the year due to cost cutting.

“The contract with Oerlikon is running out — that’s right,” Lauda confirmed to the APA news agency.

Apr.28 (GMM)  Lewis Hamilton will be penalised if he does not tidy up his driving, according to Fernando Alonso.

The pair clashed memorably during Alonso’s ill-fated single season at McLaren in 2007, but have since confirmed their professional friendship is now intact.

But three years after the turmoil of 2007, the Spanish press is generally no fonder of Hamilton.  At a media event in the country this week, Alonso was asked if he thinks the British driver is favoured by F1 officials.

In Malaysia, Hamilton received a warning for weaving in front of Vitaly Petrov, and then in China he was merely reprimanded for his pitlane stoush with Sebastian Vettel.

“No, I don’t think Hamilton is in any kind of privileged position,” Ferrari’s Alonso is quoted as responding by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

“The truth is that perhaps the decisions have been a little inconsistent, because other times it (Hamilton’s moves) would be punishable, but I don’t think it’s important.

“Lewis has had some warnings and if he does something in the next race, however little, there will be penalties because of the last two races,” added Alonso.

The Spanish pilot, Pedro Martinez De la Rosa will be the BMW Sauber ‘Scuderia’ second official pilot in the 2010 Formula One World Championship, as confirmed this Tuesday through a press release by the team based in Switzerland.
38 year old, De la Rosa, who has been a McLaren-Mercedes test driver for the last seven seasons, will partner in his new racing-team with the Japanese, Kamui Kobayashi.  Hence, the pilot from Barcelona makes his comeback to the ‘Great Circus’ as official pilot and does so with 71 Grand Prix under his belt and 29 points in the World Championship.  With his signing, he will become the championship’s second most veteran after Michael Schumacher (41).
At 17 Pedro De la Rosa began competing in 1988 in Karting and from that moment on, and thanks to the support of the Spanish Automobile Federation, he was able to go up through the categories until he reached Formula One.
Until 1991, he competed in Spain where he won the Formula Ford British Championship.  The following year, he went to Great Britain to win the Formula Renault, the European Series of that category and the ‘Privilege Formula 3 Festival’.
From there he jumped to Japan, being decisive stage for De la Rosa –from 1995 to 1997—since he won all the championships in which he competed, Formula 3 (1995), Formula 3000 (1997) and Great Tourism (1997).  For this reason he received the nickname of ‘Nippon Ichi’, that means ‘Japan’s Number 1.’
The Catalan’s first contact with a Formula 1 car took place in 1998, as Jordan’s test driver, a year before his definitive jump, becoming Arrows’ official pilot, where he challenged 16 races and added a point, ending the championship in 18th position.

A year later, still in Arrows, he added two more points in 17 tests, before signing with Jaguar for the 2001 season.  In this racing-team, the Spaniard, could not shine due to the not very competitive single-seated he drove, attaining only fifth (Italy 2001) and sixth positions (Canada 2001) as his most outstanding performances.

JUMP TO MCLAREN AND PODIUM IN HUNGRY.

From 2003 on, De la Rosa he becomes McLaren’s test driver, and two years later he gets the chance to dispute a race with the Anglo-German racing-team, the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he finished on fifth position.
But the best moments for the pilot from Barcelona in McLaren would come a year later, in 2006, where he challenged eight races as substitute of the Colombian, Juan Pablo Montoya.  De la Rosa added a total of 19 points and for the first time in his career, managed to take a podium place by finishing second in the Hungarian Grand Prix, even ahead of Michael Schumacher.

Even though there was much speculation around De la Rosa’s jump to an official wheel –specially as a result of Fernando Alonso leaving McLaren-, finally the Finish Heikki Kovalainen closed the doors on him and the last three seasons he has not been able to challenge any Grand Prix.

During the last months everything seemed to indicate that the Catalan –who has been President of the Pilot Association for two years-, would come back to the competition by the hand of the Spanish debutant team, the Campos Meta, negotiations with the Adrian Campos’ racing-team were interrupted so it will finally be the Sauber team which takes in the veteran pilot.

PETER SAUBER VALUES HIS “EXPERIENCE.”

“Pedro has worked during the last years for one of the best teams of technical level athletics.  We, as a team, want to take advantage of his experience, as we would like Kamui to do,” stated in a press release Peter Sauber, Principal of the team.

Likewise, the team principal of the Catalan’s new ‘Scuderia’ underlines that “the combination of an experienced pilot with a bright young hope usually renders good results.”  He seemed “sure” that in this case, “it’s what’s going to happen next season.”

“Of course, it’s essential that we can give them a good car and I have a very optimistic view of the evolution we can achieve at our factory.  We’re capable of continuing our work with the 2010 car, just as we had programmed, despite of the recent uncertainty period”, Peter Sauber pointed out.

For the second consecutive time, Greg Biffle managed to advance in the final section of the Camping World RV 400 Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway taking the victory and overcoming the leaders and favorites to win this particular competition. Biffle certainly surprised many of us with his brief running to grasp the title. 

 

The Nascar’s driver Biffle was able to closely drive for most of the race next to the race leaders, but at the point when there were only 15 laps remaining he competed against his teammate Matt Kenseth; this was a very exciting part of the competition as Biffle constantly tried to surpass Kenseth in each lap but Kenseth put up a good race but finally Biffle overcame him with an absolute win. 

 

On the other hand, Carl Edwards achieved a third place despite trying very hard to obtain a better place. He was then followed by Mark Martin in the fourth place driving a Chevy, and the two-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, arrived in fifth place. 

 

Among the top ten positions also were: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Michael Waltrip. Eight of these ten drivers had previously competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, except for Martin and Waltrip. One driver that did not have a good performance as expected was Kyle Busch who ended the race in the 43rd position, which was the last place.

 

Despite the fact that it was a very splendid day for Nascar’s racing it was not such a good day for Busch neither David Gilliland as they both collided hardly against the retention wall. Another crash was that of Patrick Carpentier, which lost control of his Dodge in the first curve, striking the defense of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase contender, Carl Edwards.

 

Another driver Jeff Gordon showed his skills and speed while taking a privileged position along with Hamlin, Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Reutimann, Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

 

During the 64th lap Joe Nemechek caused another yellow flag when his Chevy burst a front wheel and struck the external wall. Some other remarkable drivers who rose to top positions and finished seeded in the top ones were: Reutimann, Johnson, Bowyer, Burton and the race winner Biffle. Toyota’s AJ Allmendinge’s caused another yellow flag some laps later when hitting the retention wall. The sparks continued shortly after the yellow flag when Robby Gordon was put behind McMurray this certainly changed the race which at half point of the competition the Nascar driver Hornish crashed again in the 187th lap.

 

Another highlight of the race was the good performance and rising of the Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya who achieved a 17th place. He has also been improving race after race as he seems to be getting more comfortable with the vehicle he is now driving, he is one of those drivers that will sooner than later surprise us with an unexpected victory in the short run.