L-Hamilton is the rookie of the year for sure...

Just hope Mclaren engine don't blow this time

Hamilton is da man of 2days race.. causing Massa 2 make mistakes..

Hamilton really play big part today, he hold both Ferrari very well

Hamilton's not only brilliant on the track; his post race conference was one to savour too
He described the Ferraris as red blops
And he said he tricked Massa into making a mistake...he even apologised for it!

alonso sholud not deserved the pole position,lewis hamilton deserve it,he was fast ,but too many traffic in front of him in the last minute.

Today's newspaper, the star sports section, reported by AFP

A simple google search

http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/...id/257191/cs/1/

http://in.sports.yahoo.com/070616/43/6h243.html

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...ess=1&id=159816

'Alonso's entourage could have found the legal way to break (the contract),' Spanish sports daily Marca reported Friday.

'Alonso's entourage could have found the legal way to break (the contract),' Spanish sports daily Marca reported Friday.

"Alonso's entourage could have found the legal way to break (the contract)," Spanish sports daily Marca reported yesterday.

And Marca isn't the most reliable source of news...I would know because I'm a RM fan

With the back-to-back North American races behind them, the Formula One teams return to testing this week in preparation for the forthcoming French Grand Prix. The majority will be in action at the UK's Silverstone circuit, where a three-day session kicks off on Tuesday.

Any fans hoping to get a glimpse of man-of-the-moment Lewis Hamilton will be disappointed, as McLaren have opted to give him some time off ahead of his Goodwood Festival of Speed appearance next weekend. Instead, test driver Pedro de la Rosa will partner Fernando Alonso for the championship leaders' programme.

Ralf Schumacher was the quickest man on Tuesday, as testing got underway at Silverstone. Schumacher clocked a best lap of 1m 22.540s around the British circuit to put Toyota top of the timesheets. The German was just over one-tenth of a second quicker than McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa.

Schumacher spent most of his day's running concentrating on set-up work for July's British Grand Prix but he also carried out several qualifying simulations, during which he scored his fastest time. With the forecast rain never materialising, the German was able to complete 71 laps.

"In general it was a successful day and we made it through everything that we had planned," explained Schumacher. "The conditions were very good, particularly in the morning, although the wind picked up in the afternoon. We had one stoppage after lunch while we changed some suspension settings but overall things went well."

De la Rosa, meanwhile, kicked off an intensive engineering programme for McLaren. The Spanish tester focused on evaluating new developments and also took time to work on set-up for the forthcoming British race. He will drive again on Wednesday, before Fernando Alonso takes over for the final day on Thursday.

Over four-tenths down on the McLaren was the Red Bull of Mark Webber. Although Red Bull had planned to carry out a complete evaluation of a new aero update ahead of next week's French Grand Prix, Webber only managed to complete 42 laps after a hydraulic actuator problem on his RB3 caused a delay.

Fourth-quickest driver was Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, who completed 63 laps in the R27. Kovalainen initially focused on car set-up before comparing tyre types and aerodynamic setting for the British race. The Finn will share the French team's sole chassis on Wednesday with tester Nelson Piquet Jr.

Veteran test driver Luca Badoer took up the fifth-fastest slot for Ferrari. Badoer covered 57 laps, as he evaluated new components. Nick Heidfeld's best time in the BMW Sauber was just under two-tenths down on the Italian's time. Heidfeld tested tyres and some new mechanical components, but was forced to finish an hour early after being troubled by a slight pain in his back. The German will be replaced by team tester Timo Glock on Wednesday.

Though Toro Rosso's Vitantonio Liuzzi ended the day in seventh, he was only able to begin testing at midday after being held up by a delayed flight from Indianapolis. Liuzzi's programme focused the team's new quick-shift gearbox, but the Italian also fitted in some longer runs on race fuel loads.

Completing the line-up was Williams test driver Kazuki Nakajima, eighth, and the two Spyker testers, Adrian Valles and Giedo van der Garde, who finished in ninth and tenth respectively. The Spyker team used the new F8-VII/04 chassis for the first time during the test, with Valles and van der Garde completing 64 laps between them.

Testing continues at Silverstone on Wednesday.

Unofficial Tuesday times from Silverstone:
1. Ralf Schumacher, Toyota, 1:22.794
2. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:22.915
3. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:23.329
4. Heikki Kovalainen, Renault, 1:23.510
5. Luca Badoer, Ferrari, 1:23.770
6. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 1:23.841
7. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Toro Rosso, 1:24.125
8. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams, 1:24.665
9. Adrian Valles, Spyker, 1:25.394
10. Giedo van der Garde, Spyker, 1:25.931

Jarno Trulli matched team mate Ralf Schumacher's pace on Wednesday to keep Toyota at the top of the timesheets after a second day of testing at Silverstone. Trulli clocked a quickest lap of 1m 21.420s around the British circuit - just over one-tenth of a second better than Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

Though the forecast showers did finally arrive during the afternoon, Trulli covered 49 laps as he continued vital set-up work for July's British Grand Prix. The Italian also worked through an engine evaluation.

"The morning went pretty well for us testing set-up and tyres and I felt pretty comfortable with the car," explained Trulli. "Then we changed the suspension settings so we lost some time around the lunch break. After the rain in the afternoon we only had about a half an hour more of meaningful work."

Raikkonen completed 62 laps as he concentrated on development of new mechanical and aerodynamic components on the F2007. With Felipe Massa expected on Thursday, it was the Finn's first and final day at the Silverstone test.

Alexander Wurz finished third fastest for Williams. The team were testing a new aero package and tasked Wurz with evaluating its proficiency and working through a variety of set-ups to compliment it. The Austrian covered 45 laps and will now hand over testing duties to team mate Nico Rosberg.

Tuesday's second-fastest driver, McLaren tester Pedro de la Rosa, took up the fourth slot on Wednesday. De la Rosa completed 58 laps as he assessed aerodynamics, race set-up and tyres for the forthcoming British race. Fellow countryman Fernando Alonso will replace him on the final day.

Renault's Heikki Kovalainen finished fifth after evaluating new aerodynamic components in the R27. Although Kovalainen, who was delayed by the wet weather and an unscheduled engine change, managed just 53 laps, he remained positive about the French team's progress.

"We have enjoyed two important days of testing," the Finn explained. "We didn't do as many laps as we would have liked, but there were some very good tests even so. The car is more consistent to drive, and moving forward bit by bit. I think it's an encouraging sign for the next few races."

Vitantonio Liuzzi was the sixth-quickest driver for Toro Rosso. Despite interruptions, Liuzzi was one of the most productive runners of the day, covering 83 laps. With the STR2's new quick-shift gearbox continuing to work well and the aero optimization for the British race progressing positively, the team are hopeful they will finish their programme on Thursday, when Scott Speed takes over driving duties.

Liuzzi's Red Bull stable-mate Mark Webber was seventh fastest. Webber continued to evaluate the team's new aerodynamic package but only covered 33 laps due to two engine-related problems. BMW Sauber test driver Timo Glock, meanwhile, finished in eighth as he completed tyre testing and began some suspension and aero development work.

Completing the day's line-up was Adrian Sutil, ninth quickest for Spyker. Sutil carried out brake system evaluations, tyre work and set-up adjustments. Tester Giedo van der Garde and race driver Christijan Albers will share driving duties on Thursday during the third and final day of the test.

Unofficial Wednesday times from Silverstone:
1. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 1:21.420
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:21.548
3. Alexander Wurz, Williams, 1:21.904
4. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:22.018
5. Heikki Kovalainen, Renault, 1:22.119
6. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Toro Rosso, 1:22.365
7. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:22.447
8. Timo Glock, BMW Sauber, 1:22.481
9. Adrian Sutil, Spyker, 1:23.228

2. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:22.915

Ferrari's Felipe Massa pushed Toyota off the top spot during the third and final day of testing at Silverstone on Thursday. Massa clocked a quickest lap of 1m20.805s around the British circuit, finishing over four-tenths faster than the second-placed Williams of Nico Rosberg.

Aside from a slight shower at midday, conditions were dry and sunny and Massa was able to cover a total of 87 laps. The Brazilian experimented with a variety of new aerodynamic and mechanical solutions, as Ferrari attempt to glean more pace from the F2007. The team return to Italy this week and will shakedown the two cars they plan to use at the French Grand Prix on June 27 at Fiorano, with tester Luca Badoer behind the wheel.

Rosberg, meanwhile, was charged with picking up where Williams team mate Alexander Wurz had left off on Wednesday. The young German continued to evaluate the FW29's aero updates and completed 98 laps. Rosberg will now head to Iceland for a promotional event.

Third fastest on Thursday was McLaren's Fernando Alonso, who took over driving duties from tester Pedro de la Rosa. Alonso continued to focus on aero updates, but also carried out some tyre work and general set-up adjustments. He covered 58 laps, even though an oil system problem caused a slight delay.

Renault tester Nelson Piquet Jr finished up fourth after a busy day. Piquet was the most productive man on track and was the only driver to complete more than 100 laps. He initially worked on finding a good balance in the R27 before conducting a series of tyre tests.

"I was really pleased to be driving today, because I really enjoy this circuit and I have always felt good here," he explained. "I hadn't driven since the last test in Paul Ricard, and was excited about this week, and the car was handling well - better than I expected to be honest. We made good progress with our programme, and collected interesting data which confirms Heikki's (Kovalainen) work earlier in the week. That's a positive sign."

Wednesday pacesetter, Toyota's Jarno Trulli, settled for fifth slot on Thursday. Trulli covered 70 laps in the TF107, as he conducted tyre comparisons, system evaluations and suspension tests. The Italian was just over two-tenths quicker than David Coulthard, sixth for Red Bull. The Scot assessed the team's new aero package and some suspension changes.

In seventh was BMW Sauber tester Timo Glock, who wrapped up the German-Swiss team's programme over 71 laps. Glock tested tyres, suspension parts and some aero changes. Over half a second down on the German was Toro Rosso's Scott Speed, who finished eighth. Speed covered 65 laps, despite a failure in his STR2's power train.

"We did our homework on various solutions; some paid off and some didn't," explained Toro Rosso technical director, Giorgio Ascanelli. "Until this afternoon, general reliability seems good, as we managed to put the equivalent of three race distances on the same quick-shift gearbox. And in performance terms, it seems better too. So to sum up, these three days have allowed us to sign off new steering and suspension components and the quick shift box for the French Grand Prix."

At the back of the field were the Spyker drivers Christijan Albers and Giedo van der Garde, ninth and tenth respectively. Albers covered 35 laps in the morning, working on brakes, before an electrical problem halted his running. Tester Van der Garde took over the car in the afternoon but span into the gravel on his first run. The team quickly fixed the damaged front suspension and sent Albers back out for few more laps.

With next weekend's French Grand Prix looming, most teams will now return to their respective factories to continue preparations.

Unofficial Thursday times from Silverstone:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:20.805
2. Nico Rosberg, Williams, 1:21.274
3. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:21.284
4. Nelson Piquet Jr, Renault, 1:21.357
5. Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 1:21.703
6. David Coulthard, Red Bull, 1:21.933
7. Timo Glock, BMW Sauber, 1:22.456
8. Scott Speed, Toro Rosso, 1:23.049
9. Christijan Albers, Spyker, 1:23.374
10. Giedo van der Garde, Spyker, 1:25.865

2. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:22.915

4. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:22.018

From The Times
July 10, 2007

Edward Gorman, Motor Racing Correspondent

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday, won by Kimi Raikkonen, of Ferrari, marked the halfway point in what will go down as one of the great seasons in Formula One, and the drivers' championship is now beautifully balanced between four men with eight races to go.

The key question for British motor-sport fans is whether Lewis Hamilton can hold on to become world champion in his first season, or will he be caught and overtaken by one of the three more experienced men chasing him, Fernando Alonso, his McLaren Mercedes teammate, and the Ferrari drivers, Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

Hamilton has started life at the top and has been easily the most consistent of the four so far, with nine podium finishes, an incredible feat. His performances have given him a jump on the others - he is 12 points ahead of Alonso and 18 and 19 points respectively ahead of Raikkonen and Massa.

Simple, you might think; Hamilton is in a position to press on and win, and he has shown the ability and the temperament to do so. He is also handling the pressure of being out in front and has shown in junior racing that he knows not only how to lead a championship but also how to win it.

But it is never easy in Formula One. Assuming that the battle between McLaren and Ferrari continues to seesaw in terms of the performance of the cars, the odds are that Hamilton is likely to spend the rest of the season fighting a rearguard action to try to hold on, rather than lifting off from the others in a solo charge for glory.

The hounds chasing the fox are led at the moment by the "Iceman", Raikkonen, who is on a charge after two consecutive wins, and Alonso, who is showing signs of starting to get the most out of his McLaren and its Bridgestone tyres. Alonso appears increasingly irritated by his teammate and yesterday gloated about finishing in front of the Briton at Silverstone. "Saturday I went faster than [Hamilton] but then with less fuel in the tank he was able to win pole, and it seemed that there was a big party.

"Because of that, finishing ahead of him tastes even sweeter. Since Canada I have been a lot quicker than him. I should always be one step higher than him on the podium each time."

Massa cannot be written off, either. Of the four, he has had the most bad luck but he has shown excellent form in qualifying and, like the other three, he knows how to win.

So far Hamilton, like Alonso and Massa, has won two races while only Raikkonen has three victories. The biggest danger for him will come if one of the others gets on a roll and wins race after race. So long as that does not happen, Hamilton may claim the title even without winning another race (Keke Rosberg became champion in 1982 after only one grand-prix victory).

The reality, however, is that Ferrari will soon put all their championship-winning effort into one driver and either he, or Alonso, will start hunting Hamilton down. At Silverstone, it was more evident than hitherto the penalty that Hamilton can pay for his lack of experience, as he fell from pole to third and was fortunate not to finish fourth. Only Massa's stall on the grid possibly saved him from slipping from the podium for the first time.

The longer Hamilton's run of success goes on, the more certain it is that it will end or that he will fall into a slump. That goes for his car, too, which, unlike Alonso's, has been fault-free in competition so far. Hamilton has to fail to finish only one race with his teammate winning it for the title contest to look very different.

Hamilton has begun to look tired and perhaps McLaren should rethink his off-track schedule to give him every chance of producing the goods on the track.

Promotional events for sponsors - sponsors whose logos already cover his driving suit and his car - seem hard to justify given the historic nature of the prize at stake. Hamilton may also need to reconsider whether mingling with pop stars between races is the best way to preserve his energy for the battles ahead.

9 Jul 2007

The Formula One fraternity got its first glimpse of McLaren's new motorhome at the British Grand Prix. The team plan to bring the new trackside venue to all of this season's European races and hope it will set a new standard for paddock hospitality.

Boasting a 13.5 metre-long facade, the three-story construction dominated the skyline of Silverstone. Designed and built by German company Bischoff and Scheck, the 'Brand Centre' contains four meeting suites, eight offices, and two separate rooms for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton to relax in when out of the cockpit. It takes approximately 20 people at least two days to construct.

The new motorhome replaces McLaren's old paddock venue, the Communications Centre, which made its debut back in 2002 at the San Marino Grand Prix. During its five and a half years' service, the old centre was present at 53 races, travelled 86,731 kilometres and served up approximately 5000 breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

10/07/07

The 22-year-old British rookie did 83 laps of the revamped Belgian circuit with a best time of one minute 46.613 seconds, four tenths quicker than Poland's Robert Kubica in a BMW Sauber.

Both Hamilton, who finished third at Silverstone on Sunday after starting on pole position in front of his home crowd, and Kubica were driving the circuit in a Formula One car for the first time.

Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, whose Finnish team mate Kimi Raikkonen has won the last two races in France and Britain, was third quickest in 1:47.469.

All 11 Formula One teams are testing over the next three days at Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts the Belgian Grand Prix in September after being off the calendar last year.

The circuit has been revised with a new final chicane and changes to the pit entry and start-finish straight as well as a revamped paddock.

McLaren will not be punished over their possession of confidential Ferrari data after Formula One racing's governing body, the FIA, decided there was no proof that the team had made use of the information.

However, the FIA did find McLaren to be in breach of the International Sporting Code and warned them that they could face exclusion from the championship if they are subsequently found to have used the material.

The FIA said it also looking into possible legal action against Mike Coughlan - McLaren's suspended chief designer, who was in possession of the Ferrari documents - and Nigel Stepney, the sacked Ferrari engineer who is alleged to have supplied them.

Following Thursday's extraordinary meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, the following statement was issued:

"The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code. However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.

"But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.

"The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA."