Hamilton unconcerned by rumors linking Vettel to Mercedes - MotorSportsTalk

Lewis Hamilton has said that he is not concerned about his future with Mercedes despite reports in the paddock this weekend suggesting that Sebastian Vettel may be on the German marque’s radar.

According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, Vettel has been subject to approaches from both McLaren and Mercedes for 2016, which would appear to leave Lewis out in the cold following Nico Rosberg’s contract extension. The Briton’s contract runs out at the end of next season.

As a German team, Mercedes may be keen on having the two best German drivers in the sport on its books, but Hamilton is not bothered by these stories.

“I’m not worried about it, but another German driver, I’m not sure if that’s something Mercedes would like, but at the moment I’m here until the end of next year, so it’s not going to be any time soon,” Hamilton said. “But that’s normal, Mercedes is the best, and so everyone is going to want to drive a Mercedes.”

With just 18 months left on his contract, negotiations for a fresh deal should begin shortly. Hamilton confirmed that there is interest from both parties to extend the partnership, but no official talks have taken place yet.

“My representatives haven’t, but we’ve both shown an interest in sitting down and talking,” Hamilton said when asked if any negotiations had begun. “We haven’t sat down yet, but the team know that I would like to push to continue, and I think they made clear that they would like to do the same.

“I’ve been with Mercedes since I was 13, so I very much feel like I have Mercedes imprinted on my chest. It’s very much a family for me, but you never know what’s going to happen in the future, but I can’t particularly see myself anywhere else.

“If they happen to want someone else, that’s the way it is, I’m not going to whinge about it. There’s places for everyone.”

As the 2014 F1 season reaches its summer break, silly season is starting to get underway. It says a lot about the reputation Mercedes has now created in the F1 community that drivers are being linked to seats with the team for the season after next; the car is that good.

Would Vettel really walk away from Red Bull? “I think any offer has to be considered but nothing has changed,” he said on Thursday in Hungary.

It’s going to be a long summer of wild rumors, and frankly, silly season is only just getting started.

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The biggest race of the NTT IndyCar Series season (and in the world) is over, and NBC Sports’ power rankings look very similar to the finishing results in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Pole-sitter Alex Palou entered the Indy 500 at the top and remains there after his impressive rebound to a fourth after a midway crash in the pits. Top two Indianapolis 500 finishers Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson also improved multiple spots in the power rankings just as they gained ground during the course of the 500-mile race on the 2.5-mile oval. Though Alexander Rossi dropped a position, he still shined at the Brickyard with a fifth place finish.

Santino Ferrucci, the other driver in the top five at Indy, made his first appearance in the 2023 power rankings this year and now will be tasked with keeping his A.J. Foyt Racing team toward the front as the IndyCar circuit makes its debut on a new layout..

Heading into the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of downtown, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through six of 17 races this year (with previous ranking in parenthesis):

Alex Palou (1): Three consecutive top 10 finishes at the Indy 500, and yet the 2021 IndyCar champion still seems slightly snake-bitten at the Brickyard. A few different circumstances and a dash of experience, and Palou could have three Indy 500 wins. But he at least has the points lead.
Marcus Ericsson (4): Some want to say the Indy 500 runner-up’s unhappiness with IndyCar race control was sour grapes, but the Swede had a legitimate gripe about the consistency of red flag protocols. Still a magnificent May for Ericsson, especially while the questions swirl about his future.
Josef Newgarden (7): Strategist Tim Cindric and team did a fantastic job catapulting Newgarden from 17^th into contention, and the two-time series champion did the rest. Particularly on a late three-wide pass for the lead, it can’t be overstated how brilliant the Team Penske driver was in his finest hour.
Alexander Rossi (3): He winds up being the best Arrow McLaren finisher in a mostly disappointing Indy 500 for a team that seemed poised to become dominant. With a third in the GMR GP and a fifth in the Indy 500, this easily was Rossi’s best May since his second place in 2019.
Pato O’Ward (2): Unlike last year, the Arrow McLaren star sent it this time against Ericsson and came out on the wrong side (and with lingering bitterness toward his Chip Ganassi Racing rival). The lead mostly was the wrong place to be at Indy, but O’Ward managed to be in first for a race-high 39 laps.
Scott Dixon (5): He overcame brutal handling issues from a wicked set of tires during his first stint, and then the team struggled with a clutch problem while posting a typical Dixon-esque finish on “a very tough day.” The six-time champion hopes things are cleaner the rest of the season after the first three months.
Santino Ferrucci (NR): Pound for pound, he and A.J. Foyt Racing had the best two weeks at Indianapolis. Ferrucci said Wednesday he still believes he had “by far the best car at the end” and if not for the timing of the final yellow and red, he would have won the Indy 500. Now the goal is maintaining into Detroit.
Colton Herta (NR): He was the best in a mostly forgettable month for Andretti Autosport and now is facing a pivotal weekend. Andretti has reigned on street courses so far this season, and few have been better on new circuits than Herta. A major chance for his first victory since last year’s big-money extension.
Scott McLaughlin (6): Ran in the top 10 at Indy after a strong opening stint but then lost positions while getting caught out on several restarts. A penalty for unintentionally rear-ending Simon Pagenaud in O’Ward’s crash then sent him to the rear, but McLaughlin still rallied for 14th. Detroit will be a fresh start.
Rinus VeeKay (10): Crashing into Palou in the pits was less than ideal. But a front row start and 10^th-place finish in the Indy 500 still were 2023 highlights for VeeKay in what’s been the toughest season of his career. The Ed Carpenter Racing cars have been slow on road and street courses, so Detroit is another test.

Falling out: Will Power (8), Felix Rosenqvist (9), Romain Grosjean (10)

PAST NBC SPORTS INDYCAR POWER RANKINGS

PRESEASON: Josef Newgarden is a favorite to win third championship

RACE 1: Pato O’Ward to first; Newgarden drops out after St. Pete

RACE 2: O’Ward stays firmly on top of standings after Texas

RACE 3: Marcus Ericsson leads powerhouses at the top

RACE 4: Grosjean, Palou flex in bids for first victory

RACE 5: Alex Palou carrying all the momentum into Indy 500