Crash victim foundation wants Hamilton banned

Posted on 24/06/2010

Nicole Scherzinger joked that the pair would be banned if it emerged how fast they had driven in Switzerland © Getty Images

A road-crash victim's foundation is calling for Lewis Hamilton to be banned from Swiss roads.

The 2008 world champion landed in hot water for his irresponsible driving in Melbourne during the Australian Grand Prix weekend before his girlfriend told celebrity magazine Maxim magazine that the pair remain wild at the wheel.

"He's like, 'Babe, you're driving with your knees!" singer Nicole Scherzinger told Maxim. "I'm doing my makeup, changing the radio ..."

The Pussycat Doll star also joked that the pair would be banned if it emerged how fast they had driven in Switzerland, where Hamilton rents an apartment. The McLaren driver also crashed after running a stop sign last year.

In response, the safety group RoadCross revealed it has asked the local attorney general to revoke Hamilton's Swiss driving license.

A RoadCross spokesman said: "Public figures should be conscious that they are role models and adopt exemplary driving behaviour."

Swiss politician Pius Segmuller also told Blick newspaper that he supports the campaign to get Hamilton banned from Swiss roads.

"I think they [Hamilton and Scherzinger] show an absolute lack of character. With these statements, he is a bad role model for all the young people who idolise him."

Police hand back Briatore's boat

Posted on 23/06/2010

© Sutton Images

Italian police have handed back Flavio Briatore's luxury yacht.

The former Renault boss' 60-metre boat Force Blue was seized a month ago on suspicion of tax evasion. But according to a report in the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport, Briatore has taken back possession on two conditions. The first is a deposit of €5 million, and the second is a promise that the boat will not leave Mediterranean waters.

The Sunday Times said in May that the evasion of taxes relating to the yacht could cost Briatore €40 million in fines or a six-year prison sentence. But Briatore denies any wrongdoing.

"It was a big television production by the police and completely unfair, so we are fighting them now," he told the Telegraph. "That boat was a commercial boat with a €50 million turnover in the past four years, but the police seem to think that was all for me."

Briatore does not deny using the boat, and claims he is supported by seven Italian MPs who have written to the government "to find out what happened".

"Of course, I use the yacht, because if you are going to own a business, it may as well be one you can enjoy - otherwise, I would have bought a funeral home."

Button threatened Brawn over car chassis

Posted on 21/06/2010

Button filed legal action against Brawn to claim his rightful prize © Getty Images

Jenson Button had to file legal action against his former team after they refused to give him the car he drove to victory as a gift, according to the Mail on Sunday.

A clause in Button’s contract stated that he could keep a chassis of his car as a memento if he won the championship. But the team refused to hand over a 2009 Brawn car to Button because there were not enough of the chassis remaining.

Mercedes instead offered to build a replica of the BGP001 car but Button said it would lack the "special and unique" value of owning one of the very cars he drove to the title. Considering that the original chassis are worth in the region of £1 million, the gesture must have seemed akin to being offered a fake Rolex instead of the authentic timepiece.

In the face of legal action, Brawn then said it did in fact have a 2009 Brawn chassis that Button could have. Funny that . . .

Why Nicole drives Lewis crazy

Posted on 18/06/2010

Lewis enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, as long as it's not in the car © Getty Images

Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger says that her driving terrifies her Formula One driver boyfriend, Lewis Hamilton.

“He's more afraid when he's with me and I'm driving than he is during a race,” Scherzinger told femalefirst.co.uk.

She also revealed that Hamilton gives her driving tips, but she ignores his advice to concentrate on more important things.

“He gives me pointers, but at the end of the day he says, 'Babe, you're driving with your knees.' I'm doing my makeup, changing the radio [while driving]. I guess it's appropriate that I just did a song with Slash and Alice Cooper called 'Baby Can't Drive'.”

Latest rumour: Massa deal has 'Barrichello-clause'

Posted on 16/06/2010

© Sutton Images

Felipe Massa has labelled rumours that he has agree to a 'Barrichello-clause' in the pages of his new Ferrari contract as “rubbish”.

Last week Massa signed a new deal to stay at Ferrari until 2012 alongside his new team-mate Fernando Alonso. But so far in 2010, Massa has struggled to match Alonso’s pace, most recently in Canada, where he was out-qualified before driving a messy race and crossing the line a lap down.

The latest edition of the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell reports rumours that one of the conditions of Massa's contract renewal was that he agrees to be the No. 2 driver. 'Barrichello clause' is a reference to Michael Schumacher's former Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who famously raced to support the championship charges of the team's favoured driver.

Massa is quoted as responding to the rumours: "Rubbish", while Alonso refused to comment.

US Grand Prix is news to Branson

Posted on 14/06/2010

Richard Branson says he would welcome a US Grand Prix © Getty Images

Sir Richard Branson said he would like to see a grand prix in the United States, forgetting that one has already been scheduled for Texas in 2012.

"The US market is extremely important," the Virgin boss told the La Presse newspaper at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"We have a cell phone company here in Canada, our airline will fly to Toronto soon and we will invest in the Canadian investment community. But we must also go to the United States," Branson insisted. "I think the best places would be San Francisco, or the streets of Las Vegas."

When told that F1 is already scheduled to be in Texas in a couple of years, he answered: "Texas? Yeah, ok, but I would still go to Vegas. Imagine the cars on the Strip."

Formula One did hold a Las Vegas Grand Prix at Caesars Palace back in 1981 and 1982 but it was unpopular amongst drivers and failed to draw big crowds.

Vettel and Webber at odds over World Cup

Posted on 11/06/2010

Sebastian Vettel shows off his football skills in the Montreal paddock © Getty Images

Sebastian Vettel has re-ignited his war of words with team-mate Mark Webber, but this time the argument has nothing to do with Formula One.

Germany plays Australia in their opening match of the football World Cup on Sunday and Vettel is confident his team will easily win the match against Webber’s countrymen.

"Germany will clearly win the match as Australia is the weakest team in our group, so winning should be imperative, even though Mark has a different opinion on that," said Vettel in Montreal on Thursday.

"But as we know, the both of us have lately had some different opinions on things anyway."

US F1 chassis up for auction

Posted on 10/06/2010

The remains of US F1’s bid to enter Formula One are being auctioned off in Charlotte today.

The team had a grid slot for this year’s championship but had to pull out due to a lack of funding just weeks before the start of the season. The team was based in Charlotte and, judging by the long list of lots going up for auction, had acquired a fair amount of equipment.

It is possible to bid on various items, from a half-finished chassis (proof of just how far the team was from hitting the track) to a barbeque.

Click here to visit the auction website.

Ferrari signs 11-year-old protege

Posted on 09/06/2010

Ferrari has signed 11-year-old karter Lance Stroll to its Driver Academy.

Canadian Stroll is the youngest name in the programme and gained his place after impressing in junior karting competitions in North America. He has two wins in the Canadian national championship in the Rotax Mini Max category as well as Coupe de Montreal and Coupe du Quebec Micro Max Championship in 2008 and both Mini Max Championships in 2009.

The head of the Ferrari driving academy Luca Baldisserri said: “We are pleased to welcome Lance to our group. He is very young, but he has already shown in karting that he is exceptionally talented. We will follow him step by step in his forthcoming events in North America and he will soon also take part in our courses at Maranello.”

Lewis and Nicole set to get hitched

Posted on 06/06/2010

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton are set to take the plunge and get married, months after splitting up.

The Sunday Mirror reports the pair are preparing to announce their engagement with a wedding planned for early next year.

"When they last got together in February, Lewis promised Nicole that if things worked out then it was for life,” an unnamed source gushed. “He's happier than ever before right now and he has promised her that she'll have a ring on her finger within weeks. He feels like he's got everything out of his system and he wants to be a one-woman man.

"Nicole's over the moon. She's wanted a fairytale wedding and to start a family for a long time, so she's thrilled that he's decided to pop the question.

"She felt like getting back together with him was a real risk. She didn't want to put herself through another emotional break-up. But now she finally feels like she has her soulmate and can't wait to marry him and show the world they're blissfully happy.”

Scherzinger was a very visible – and audible – presence in the McLaren garage last weekend, although she had been absent while Jenson Button’s former girlfriend Jessica Michibata was the McLaren babe on duty.

Rossi interested in Ferrari drive

Posted on 04/06/2010

Valentino Rossi says he would be interested in a third driver role © Getty Images

MotoGP star Valentino Rossi has expressed interest in driving a third Ferrari in Formula One.

Rossi was quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying he would like to explore the possibility of becoming Ferrari’s third driver if Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso were the first team drivers.

"To have a strong team like Yamaha's [in MotoGP], Ferrari should hire Sebastian Vettel alongside Alonso," said Rossi. "I would like to explore the possibility of a third car for myself."

Rossi could well be forgiven for having more on his mind than Ferrari, however, after Italian police arrested a 42-year-old labourer who admitted threatening to "put a bullet in the head" of the seven-time MotoGP champion at the Mugello round of the championship.

Jenson joins elite list

Posted on 03/06/2010

Jenson Button poses with his MBE © Getty Images

Jenson Button has described meeting the Queen and being awarded an MBE as ‘a very great honour’ and ‘a significant milestone in my life’.

The 2009 world champion, who also has a street named after him in his home town of Frome, joins an illustrious list of sporting MBEs including clay target shooter George Digweed, Badminton star Gail Emms, canoeist Anna Hemmings, gymnast Beth Tweddle and Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts.

Was Lewis manufactured

Posted on 02/06/2010

Nigel Mansell has accused Lewis Hamilton of being “manufactured”. The 1992 champion is uneasy about Pop Idolstyle financial aid and fast-tracking through junior series, citing how he had to sell many of his belongings to get to F1.

“It’s fantastic what he’s achieved but he’s been manufactured. How many people from seven years of age have been given £2.5million to go karting?”