Formula one: Whitmarsh ‘doubts’ Hamilton switch

Martin Whitmarsh ‘doubts’ that Lewis Hamilton will defect to Mercedes towards the end of the season in spite of admitting the driver’s future remains uncertain, according to Sky Sports. Even though the Italian Grand Prix has been dominated by talks of reports that suggested Mercedes were closing in on securing Hamilton’s signature for 2013, McLaren chief Whitmarsh has dismissed those rumours as media ‘titillation’. Hamilton’s need to establish a brand for himself, was reported to be a stumbling block in contract discussions with McLaren. “Lewis and his team are very interested in the Hamilton brand and providing anything that happens doesn’t distract him from being a race driver, we are 100 per cent relaxed about it,” said Whitmarsh.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2012.