Hamilton and Mercedes deny plans to abandon McLaren

If the rumors are true, Mercedes is seriously considering leaving its partnership with McLaren, while Hamilton is looking for a loophole in his five-year contract to leave the team. But in Bahrain both Hamilton and Mercedes representative Norbert Haug struck a different note regarding their relationship with McLaren.

"Some people have suggested that Mercedes is backing out," Haugh told reporters in Sakhir. "Mercedes is not backing down." However, Haug admitted last week that the German company's collaboration is not permanent.

But for 2009 "we have confirmation of our activities," he added.

For his part, Hamilton did not once again face the traditional meeting with journalists in Bahrain on Thursday, but his mood has improved compared to China. "I'm here and I'm enjoying my time with the team," the driver said when asked again about his future after his uncompromising answers in Shanghai. "I don't abandon my team when times get tough. We go through the good times and the bad times together, so I'm happy where I am. We have a long way to go and I hope to spend a lot more time with them, I really want to do that," he added.

Andre' Cotta