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Whiting inspection postponed

Mar.7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton insists he is neither surprised nor worried about the controversy surrounding the legality of McLaren's rear wing.

FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting was scheduled to visit the British team's headquarters at the weekend, after Red Bull and perhaps also Ferrari asked for clarification about whether a drag-reducing innovation conforms to the rules.

"I am not surprised that it (the issue) has come up, it is part of the game, but I'm not afraid of anything," 25-year-old Hamilton told Spain's Marca sports newspaper.

In Britain, meanwhile, the focus of the newspapers just a week from the 2010 season opener has been on Hamilton and his countryman Jenson Button, who are paired together at the Mercedes-powered team.

Some reports got into the detail about the duo's pre-Bahrain travel plans, like Hamilton's dash to Los Angeles to see his girlfriend Nicole, while Button is headed to Abu Dhabi to be with his girlfriend Jessica.

Others quoted Hamilton first as admitting he mishandled his fiery relationship with Fernando Alonso in 2007, and then that he almost quit after last year's so-called 'liegate' scandal.

"I care about how people perceive me. I did worry whether I should be in the sport," he said.

30-year-old Button seemed braced for 2010 and the British media's inevitable magnifying-glass focus on the pair.

"We know what's coming from the media," said the reigning world champion. "We have to be blinkered and focus on what's important to us, not what's being written and said."

Written: Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:21:39