Latest F1 news in brief

Coulthard advises Hamilton to stay at McLaren

Stewart, Coulthard, advise Hamilton to stay
Kovalainen 'smiled' at Ferrari, Sauber rumors
Schu 'benefitted most' from last tire war – Hembery
Ecclestone sets deadline for Nurburgring rescue
Sauber's Perez stokes up feud with Maldonado
Webber receives grid penalty at Hockenheim
Maria De Villota goes home

Stewart, Coulthard, advise Hamilton to stay
(GMM) F1 legends Sir Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard have advised Lewis Hamilton to stay with McLaren beyond 2012.

But 1996 world champion Damon Hill thinks it could be time for him to move on.

Celebrating his 100th race at Hockenheim this weekend, 2008 world champion Hamilton is reportedly considering leaving the famous British team that gave him his grand prix debut back in 2007.

"I see no need for him to move away from McLaren," triple world champion Stewart told the Daily Mail. "I think it would be quite daft if he did.

"He knows they have got the resources," added the 73-year-old Scot. "You have to have the basic ingredients and McLaren have all of them and know how to do it and they have got a very experienced group of people."

Stewart also thinks Hamilton, 27, will find it hard to get "the sort of salary he enjoys" elsewhere.

Former McLaren driver Coulthard agrees with Stewart that McLaren is Hamilton's best bet for 2013.

"McLaren are a special team, a massive team and you do not give up a race seat there lightly," he wrote in his latest Telegraph column.

Coulthard said moving to Lotus would be a "huge punt" for Hamilton if he wants to win the world championship again.

"No, I would advise Lewis to stay right where he is, and I am sure he will," added the Scot.

But former Williams title winner Hill said Hamilton might be right to think the grass could be greener elsewhere.

"I'm sure Lewis feels that his trajectory had him down for at least two world championships by now, if not three," he told the Express newspaper.

But Hill conceded: "To try a move might be a risk for Lewis. But the counter argument is whether you can grow successfully within the same organization.

"When you start off as a very young boy with an organization, sometimes it's difficult for that organization to realize that the young boy is no longer a young boy, he's a man, able to make his own decisions and go in his own direction.

"It can be a question of whether he gets that at McLaren."

Stewart, meanwhile, said he thinks Michael Schumacher should finally call his 19-season F1 career a day after his Mercedes contract expires this year.

"He should have got it out of his system by now in my mind," he said.

"I would like to see him maybe getting a victory this year and then retiring."

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone disagrees, arguing that he is "always happy" to see the iconic German on the grid.

Former Force India driver Adrian Sutil agrees: "If I was in his situation, I would probably go on too," he said on German television Sky.

And Hans-Joachim Stuck, the German motor racing federation president, told Spox: "In my opinion, he is long overdue for a win."

Kovalainen 'smiled' at Ferrari, Sauber rumors
(GMM) According to Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper, Heikki Kovalainen "smiled" when asked about reports he is linked with the vacant 2013 seats at Sauber and Ferrari.

Having resurrected his reputation following undistinguished stints at top teams Renault and McLaren, the 30-year-old Finn is openly musing a switch for next year after three consecutive seasons at Caterham.

When asked about the paddock speculation, Kovalainen reportedly smiled before answering at Hockenheim: "I am confident that if I got the opportunity to drive a good car, I could fight for the top places."

Schu 'benefitted most' from last tire war – Hembery
(GMM) Paul Hembery at Hockenheim hit back at Michael Schumacher's claim the Pirelli tires supplied to F1 teams in 2013 are not "decent".

The seven time world champion said earlier this week that he would like to see a 'tire war' break out in formula one again "Because then we would have decent tires."

Pirelli's F1 boss Hembery hit back: "He says that because the last time there was competition between tire manufacturers, he (Schumacher) benefitted the most."

The Briton is obviously referring to suggestions a lot of Schumacher's success in his first career was due to Ferrari's famously close relationship with Bridgestone.

Hembery was quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport : "We adhere only to the rules, which are not made by Mr. Schumacher, nor by Pirelli."

The German report said it obvious Hembery and Schumacher are "not friends".

Ecclestone sets deadline for Nurburgring rescue
(GMM) The clock is ticking if the Nurburgring wants to book a place on the 2013 calendar.

That was the warning issued on Friday by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, after the German circuit's management last week launched a voluntary insolvency process.

The news has gravely endangered the Nurburgring's formula one race, with the track scheduled to appear on the 2013 calendar as per the alternation arrangement with Ecclestone and Germany's other grand prix venue, Hockenheim.

In an interview due to be published by Rhein-Zeitung newspaper on Saturday, Ecclestone confirmed reports he has offered by waive the Nurburgring's mandatory race sanctioning fee for 2013.

But he warned: "The negotiations have to be finished in the next few weeks, if a race is going to take place in 2013."

Sauber's Perez stokes up feud with Maldonado
Mexican Sergio Perez stoked up his feud with controversial Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado on Thursday, nearly two weeks after their crash at the British Grand Prix.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of this weekend’s German Grand Prix, Perez of Sauber said he had not changed his mind and reiterated that he believed the Williams man needed to change his approach before anyone was injured.

Perez admitted that his emotions were running high in the immediate aftermath of their collision at Silverstone where Maldonado was reprimanded and fined.

He called for motor racing’s ruling body the FIA to take action against Maldonado and demanded that the driver changed his attitude.

On Thursday he said: “It was an unnecessary crash. I was very angry at that moment and probably said things that I would not have liked to have said, but it is already said now, so in the end I still share my opinions from last time."

Asked, given the same situation again, if he would pass the Venezuelan round the outside, after two collisions with him this season, Perez replied: “You have to attack in Formula One these days, you don’t have that many opportunities. So if you have the opportunity you have to take it.

“Pastor was driving in a very aggressive way, more than aggressive, so I think now he will change his style because he is a very intelligent driver and a quick driver. That’s why he is in F1."

Webber receives grid penalty at Hockenheim
Mark Webber will receive a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's German Grand Prix. Red Bull Racing had to change his gearbox overnight, automatically handing the winner of last week's British Grand Prix with the punishment.

Following Friday's free practice sessions at Hockenheim, Red Bull discovered a problem with the unit. To stay safe the team decided to change the car's gearbox ahead of Saturday's hour-long free practice session.

Webber becomes the third possible pole candidate to receive the penalty, as Lotus’ Romain Grosjean and Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg have also changed gearboxes.

Maria De Villota goes home
17 days after her testing accident at Duxford Airfield, the Marussia F1 Team are pleased to report that Test Driver Maria De Villota has returned to Spain.

Maria left Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge yesterday (20 July) and returned directly to Spain.

Over the course of the past two weeks, Maria has made significant progress. More comfortable and familiar surroundings, plus the support of her wider family and friends, will undoubtedly provide a more conducive environment in which Maria can commence the next phase of her recovery.

The Marussia F1 Team have remained in close contact with the medical team at Addenbrooke's Hospital since Maria's admittance and would like to express their gratitude for the remarkable care and attention that she has received there.

The Marussia F1 Team – the staff, race drivers Timo Glock and Charles Pic, and all those associated with the Team – wish Maria well with the next stage of her recovery. The management team will continue to liaise closely with Maria and her family and provide any assistance possible during the coming months.