Mark your calendars: on January 15th, 2009, the Isle of Man is releasing sets of commemorative Lewis Hamilton postage stamps, honouring F1’s youngest-ever (well, until Sebastian Vettel takes it in 2009) world champion. No word yet on whether or not the adhesive tastes like a magnum of Mumm, but here’s hoping.
In other F1 news of a possibly porcine nature, Lewis Hamilton and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Ron Dennis paid a visit to team sponsors ExxonMobil in Fairfax, Virginia earlier in the week. Why is this important? Because, fair CarEnvy readers, the entire time they were there, Ron and Lewis could only think of Canada.
To read more about how Tony George’s sparklingly come-hither press pagoda can’t even turn McLaren’s head anymore, follow the jump.
Ron Dennis, moved to tears over thoughts of Montreal, yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail.
Speaking to reporters, Ron Dennis was adamant that Formula One is “not turning its back on North America.” Furthermore, he added that:
“We definitely expect to be back in North America within the next three years.”
And what are the thoughts of our erstwhile world champion on the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve?
“I think it’s a very special one for us to keep. I hope we can get it back at some stage. I would love to race there and compete there again.”
Of course, the interviewers also asked about the sweeping cost-cutting measures that the FIA is enacting in order to make F1 more sustainable for the future, and Hamilton did what anyone in his position would in saying they’d obviously make things more difficult, but the team would keep trying. Really, what do people expect will be the answer when they ask questions like that? He’s hardly going to say he’s going to take his toys and go home, is he? Not with fairly reasonable changes like these, anyway. Sometimes, the mind boggles.
Meanwhile, Autosport obtained an exclusive interview with Rubens Barrichello about his future and the fate of Honda, and how the thought of retirement isn’t even an option. He also swore allegiance to Honda and pledged to do all he could to help them through this tough time, as Jenson “no, not that UK wunderkind, the other one” Button has also previously affirmed.
So who’s going to come riding in on a white horse to save the Brackley-based Honda from the brink of disaster? Stay tuned to find out…