2007 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX NOTEBOOK
Golf superstar Woods following Hamilton’s rise; Harmony at McLaren
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, June 15, 2007 – Golf superstar Tiger Woods is keen to see how Lewis Hamilton will perform in the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, June 17 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Woods is playing in the U.S. Open in Oakmont, Pa., this weekend.
“I’ll be interested to see how Lewis Hamilton goes in our Grand Prix on Sunday,” Woods told the English newspaper The Sun, “and I will catch up with it at some stage. But hopefully not live. I hope to be taking care of business myself then.”
Woods, a motor racing fan, praised Hamilton for his stunning rookie season.
“I’ve been following his progress pretty closely, and I think it is great he won the Canadian Grand Prix after going close in all his previous races,” Woods said. “Without a doubt, he is one of the most exciting talents to hit the sporting scene in recent years. Any time a rookie comes through and wins big, it is a story that captures the imagination.
“But it’s not just his results. I’ve been impressed by the way he has handled himself off the racetrack, and I think he has the potential to be a terrific role model.”
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McLaren duo gets along just fine: Contrary to various reports, there is no friction between Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes teammates Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, a top Mercedes Benz official said.
“We have a situation right now where they speak their mind,” said Norbert Haug, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, “but I have to really tell you it is not a problem at all inside the team. I think it is very, very balanced, and I cannot see any of these frictions. Of course, you have a positive competition between the drivers and between the teams, the left-hand and right-hand side of the garage.
“I understand that people are looking for controversial stories. But inside the team, it’s different. If you look at our track records in the last couple of races, I honestly do not think that (if) we have the bad feelings inside the team you can achieve that. We must have positive and good feelings, and I think that’s what we achieved.”
