Hamilton predicts open season in 2009

Eurosport - Tue, 02 Dec 13:27:00 2008

New regulations will leave next year's Formula One title battle wide open, according to McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton.

2008 Lewis Hamilton - 0

"I've already had a close look at the new car and the engineers have explained the philosophy behind it and just how different things will be next year," the 23-year-old Briton said via a press release.

"I've been watching testing with a lot of interest, I think the new cars will make next year's championship wide open and I'm really looking forward to tackling the new regulations," he added.

The 2009 cars have major aerodynamic changes and will also be using slick tyres instead of the grooved ones of recent years.

The season, which starts in Australia on March 29, will also see the introduction of KERS systems designed to convert the heat energy generated by the cars' brakes into short bursts of additional power.

Hamilton, who last month became the sport's youngest champion after beating Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa by a single point, said he had no plans to return to the racetrack before January.

Instead, he will limber up with a team training camp at the Kuortane Sports Institute in western Finland before returning to Britain to perform a demonstration run in his McLaren at London's Wembley Stadium as part of the December 14 Race of Champions event.

"Finland is when it (the training) all starts again in earnest," said Hamilton, whose Finnish team mate Heikki Kovalainen will be testing again in Spain and Portugal this month after the camp in Finland.

"Brazil already seems a long time ago and I'm now focusing 100 per cent on 2009," he added.

"Before Christmas, I plan to take a holiday and return fresh and positive to kick start our winter test programme with the MP4-24 (car)."

Reuters

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  1. Hjlio, YOU'RE fired!

    From pHilo, on Wed 3 Dec 9:23PM

  2. all this Peru family (and others I believe) are a­ stroke of genius! I frickin love it. There is a­ comedy mastermind behind all these charachters,­ certainly brightens up my day. Well done, you should­ be a proffesional comedian/script writer if you­ aren't already!! Keep up the good work and I LOVE­ PERU!

    From Jason T, on Wed 3 Dec 3:13PM

  3. @ [77] Don’t worry spelling mistakes or not the @#$%­ hole was able to read and understand it

    From stivsf1, on Wed 3 Dec 11:14AM

  4. Clispy stop making "excueses" for him. Eh Eh

    From BigBill, on Wed 3 Dec 10:35AM

  5. SHAUN C: you can't even type a sentence you­ illiterate little tit!

    From crispyduck, on Wed 3 Dec 10:08AM

  6. He knows he was lucky last season & hes making­ excueses for next already & its not yet started

    From U R SOLES, on Wed 3 Dec 8:08AM

  7. mga: Lucky for some, I missed a treat myself. I gave­ them a catalogue from my local Ferrari dealership for­ nothing, ended up costing them $100m and I didn't­ see a penny of it!

    From ginger_gitt, on Wed 3 Dec 12:37AM

  8. sorry ginger missed your post i don't need to work­ as I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams.you see i sold­ Ferrari the spring in the floor pan.never need to work­ again.

    From MGA, on Tue 2 Dec 11:28PM

  9. who's this saddo marion from peru?

    From Rich T, on Tue 2 Dec 11:27PM

  10. whos cliff who the eddy

    From Rich T, on Tue 2 Dec 10:06PM

  11. whos cliff who the eddy

    From Rich T, on Tue 2 Dec 10:06PM

  12. mga: Now that the pair of us seemed to have joined the­ unemployed list, fancy applying for a job at Maranello?­ We'll obviously have to become cheating crooks­ first who have no objection to underhanded tactics and­ brown envelopes, but apparently the benefits package is­ great - including a new system to fuel you're car­ while parked 100m from the pump.

    From ginger_gitt, on Tue 2 Dec 8:47PM

  13. hjlio oi, I may be a man who spends too much on hand­ cream but you are a right t1t.

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 8:44PM

  14. I beg pardon mary?
    Who dear, me dear, gay dear, no­ dear.
    Kevin did you here that pet? Well I never.
    How­ very, very dare you i've never been so insulted.

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 8:43PM

  15. mga,
    .You're an idiot and,
    you have to grow­ up.
    You're Fired!

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 8:35PM

  16. ginger,
    .
    you have to grow up.
    You're Fired!

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 8:16PM

  17. clispyduck: Don't tempt them to more vocabulary,­ you'll make their brains explode! Let them be­ happy with the sorry excuse for reality they all seem­ to live in. If they are happy in a world were Ferrari­ are the Gentlemen of F1, Mclaren the Anti-Christs and­ where Elvis walked on the moon to play gold with Lord­ Lucan and Godzilla, then we should leave them to be. ­ Plus it's only temporary, they have to be back in­ the institute soon for their medication.

    From ginger_gitt, on Tue 2 Dec 8:07PM

  18. marnio: You can keep your woman, you should be­ grateful you found someone who does care in the­ community. Or is she part of a weekly arrangement­ where the two of you get to spend an evening together­ (about an hour probably) where you shower her with­ gifts (or more likely a small fee) and the two of you­ plan your future together (at least until she meets her­ next client anyway)?

    From ginger_gitt, on Tue 2 Dec 7:56PM

  19. clispyduck,
    you have to grow up.
    You're Fired!

    From , on Tue 2 Dec 7:54PM

  20. hjlio oi: you have to get some more vocabulary.

    From crispyduck, on Tue 2 Dec 7:37PM
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