Hamilton expects Rosberg, Sutil or Kovalainen to join McLaren

Nov 3, 2007, 17:53 GMT

Stuttgart - McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said Saturday that he expected Germans Nico Rosberg or Adrian Sutil or Finland's Heikki Kovalainen to join the team for the new year.

McLaren announced on Friday that two-time world champion Fernando Alonso would be leaving the team and not fulfilling his contract that still runs till 2009.

Speaking at the traditional season-ending function in Stuttgart Hamilton said that he hoped his next team-mate would be a 'team- player.'

The 22-year-old, who finished runner-up in the drivers' standings in his rookie season, said that he could work with all three possible candidates. 'I know them all well, but Nico I know best.'

He reiterated earlier statements that he had finished with the drivers' championships, even though a Mercedes appeal against a decision not to disqualify BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld and Williams' Rosberg could still see him overtake Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the top of the standings.

'The championship is finished for me. I do not want to become world champion in such a way,' he said. He added that he still wanted the appeal to be heard. 'There are rules that need to be followed.'

Mercedes motorsport director Norbert Haug said he was confident that they would find a good solution to the question of a replacement for Alonso, but added that it was too soon to name any potential candidates.