UNITED KINGDOM: MOTOR RACING - Lewis Hamilton says he will welcome whoever McLaren choose to be his next team mate

Lewis Hamilton says he will welcome whoever McLaren decide to sign as his Formula One team mate but will also be working harder than ever to beat him. "I'm really not bothered who I am racing with," the championship runner-up told Reuters on Monday (November 5) at the launch of 'Lewis Hamilton, My Story', a book chronicling the road to his stunning debut grand prix season. "It's another team decision and I stick by them whoever they choose," added the Briton, who lost the title by a single point to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at last month's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. "I'm very happy I've got one seat. I get to stay and do what I love doing." Hamilton beat double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso into third place overall and will be the main focus of the team in 2008 after McLaren announced on Friday the Spaniard was leaving. Alonso's relationship with the team deteriorated into silence and recrimination after the first few races of the year when it became apparent McLaren were not going to give him favoured treatment. "I wish Fernando the best for the future and really hope wherever he goes he is successful. But I'm going to be there competing against him and I look forward to the battle," said Hamilton. "I welcome whoever is going to be with us and look forward to the challenge," he said when asked about possible replacements. "I hope they work as hard as me to take the team to the championship. "I will be working as hard, if not harder, than I did this year to make sure I stay ahead," added the Briton, who announced last month he would be moving to Switzerland. Hamilton has mentioned Germany's Nico Rosberg (Williams), Adrian Sutil (Spyker) and Finland's Heikki Kovalainen (Renault) as likely candidates to join him. However all three are under contract and, Rosberg aside, relatively inexperienced. "To be in the team, you have to be able to all gel together and work and bring the team together," said Hamilton. "Whoever comes, we just need that again to keep up the momentum we've got." He saw no reason why his team mate should not be another youngster. Hamilton had been backed by McLaren for a decade before he entered Formula One, with the book shedding more light on that emergence from unpromising beginnings, and he will be even closer to the team next year. "It's always been my team. I arrived here this year and I felt I was part of the team," said Hamilton, the first black grand prix driver and winner of four races. "It's the team I'm with, it's the team I want to be with, the car I want to be driving, and where I want to be. I definitely feel part of the family. "I hope next year will be even more exciting. I really can't wait to get back in the car."

ITN Source | November 6, 2007

Tags:. .relationship. .decision. .ahead. .winner. .however