Former Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher dropped heavy hints on Sunday that he would leap at the chance to fill the McLaren seat vacated by Fernando Alonso.
Lewis Hamilton has made the right move in leaving McLaren if he wants to win more Formula One titles, former teammate Fernando Alonso said on Thursday.
Triple Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart advised Lewis Hamilton on Saturday to stay at McLaren and 'the devil you know' rather than risk a move to Mercedes for next season.
Lewis Hamilton's Formula One title defence remained alive on Wednesday after his McLaren team was handed a suspended three-race ban for lying to race stewards. The governing International Automobile Federation said after a hearing in Paris that the contrite way in which McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh had apologised for the team's behaviour was taken into account.
As speculation flared, a McLaren spokesperson said, 'At the moment we do not want to confirm our complete 2005 driver lineup.'
Jenson Button celebrated his 50th Formula One race for McLaren by ending a three-year wait and taking pole position in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.
McLaren are bracing for a Ferrari fightback in Malaysia next weekend after the Formula One champions endured their worst start to a season in 16 years. In a race with only seven cars still running at the finish, Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen picked up the single point after Honda's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was disqualified from sixth place for a pit lane infringement.
There is a notable precedent for Lewis Hamilton, with four times world champion Alain Prost starting his Formula One career at McLaren in 1980 before moving to Renault for three years and then returning to win titles.
McLaren questioned Lewis Hamilton's version of events on Friday after the 2008 Formula One champion told an interviewer he had been thrown out of his old team's garages in pre-season testing.
Ron Dennis likened his Italian Grand Prix weekend to a "difficult, emotional rollercoaster" and even as he said it, the McLaren boss knew that the stomach-churning ride was far from over.
McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan "behaved disgracefully" by copying and keeping documents belonging to Formula One rivals Ferrari, London's High Court heard on Tuesday.
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel gave a planned new electric series a firm thumbs-down on Saturday, saying silent motor racing left him cold.
Verstappen, who had started alongside Norris on the front row, was leading by lap three and could then build a buffer and take control.
McLaren have been placed at the slow end of the pitlane since they were stripped of all their points in 2007 due to a spying controversy.
Stewards at the Brazilian race summoned Leclerc on Friday, acting on a report from the governing FIA's media delegate and after reviewing a written transcript.
Formula One will be badly damaged if 'grubby' legal manoeuvring leads to Kimi Raikkonen losing his title to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in a courtroom, Ferrari's lawyer said.
And in tribute to the enormously special way with which he attacks the exit of a corner, I suggest a new nickname for the man likely to keep things thrilling all year around: Kimi Raikkonen, apex predator, says Raja Sen.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen dealt Lando Norris a shattering blow in their Formula One title battle by winning a wet and chaotic Sao Paulo Grand Prix from 17th on the grid.
George Russell led Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes front-row lockout in qualifying for the British Grand Prix on Saturday with McLaren's Lando Norris completing a rare one-two-three of home drivers.
Rishabh Pant has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.
Prosecutor Giuseppe Tibis also intends to question McLaren team principal Ron Dennis, chief executive Martin Whitmarsh, engineering director Paddy Lowe and senior employees Jonathan Neale and Rob Taylor.
McLaren apologised to Formula One rivals Red Bull on Tuesday after a standard engine control unit that they supply to all teams contributed to Mark Webber's poor start at his home Australian Grand Prix.
McLaren last went a year without a victory when Mika Hakkinen and Scot David Coulthard were driving for the team in 1996.
Formula One's governing body has charged championship leaders McLaren with unauthorised possession of confidential Ferrari information.
The feeling in the paddock is that the FIA's World Motor Sport Council could hit them with at least a heavy fine and points penalty.
Nobody at McLaren knew before July 3 that one of the team's employees had confidential Ferrari information in his possession, the Formula One championship leaders said on Monday.
McLaren have promised Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso a quicker car for the next race in Germany after losing to Ferrari for the second weekend in a row.
Ferrari have accused former technical manager Nigel Stepney of passing secrets to Formula One rivals.
McLaren's Spanish reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa switched over to testing duties with the Force India Formula One team at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday. Force India this month agreed a five-year partnership deal with McLaren and Mercedes that will see them replace their Ferrari engines with a complete drivetrain (engine and gearbox) package next season.
McLaren set the pace in Friday's Brazilian Grand Prix practice with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya the fastest race driver.
McLaren suspended their chief designer Mike Coughlan in July after 780 pages of Ferrari technical information was found at his home.
Former world champion Alain Prost believes that McLaren are playing with fire in granting Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso equal status in the team.
McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale insists that the team will not impose team orders on their drivers -- Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton -- during the latter part of the Formula One season.
Jenson Button's body language after the first day of Formula One testing on Tuesday spoke happily of a new McLaren that was everything last year's car was not.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen started the season with a commanding Bahrain Grand Prix win from pole position.
Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton put McLaren on pole position for engine partners Mercedes' home German Grand Prix/
Last year's inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix taught McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh an important driving lesson: Steer clear of the country's public roads as much as possible.
McLaren accepted that Ferrari data had penetrated deeper into their team than suspected and issued a public apology.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances