Lewis Hamilton drives the new McLaren during Barcelona testing. (Photo: Getty Images)

Mercedes Eyes Hamilton As Schumacher Successor - Report: Lewis Hamilton has been earmarked by Mercedes as a potential replacement for Michael Schumacher beyond the end of this season. That is the claim of the German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag, following the Stuttgart marque's recent denial that Schumacher has already been offered a new two-year contract for 2013 and 2014. The newspaper said Briton Hamilton, the 2008 world champion whose McLaren deal ends this year, is the 'plan B' should seven time world champion return to retirement before his 44th birthday. Bild am Sonntag said Mercedes already knows Hamilton after powering his F3 title in 2005. "If we had a plan B already," motor sport vice-president Norbert Haug is quoted as saying, "we would not be well advised to talk about it in public. "Before we talk to Michael, this is not a topic," he insisted. F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said recently he doubts Hamilton will see out his career with McLaren. "If he doesn't perform this year he'll be looking to move on. And the team, maybe, will also be looking to him to move on," the 81-year-old Briton said.

2012 Marussia Debuts With Crash Test Still Pending: Marussia's 2012 car made its track debut on Monday, despite having failed to pass all the mandatory FIA crash tests. But because the action at Silverstone is the team's 'filming and promotional' pre-season running, rather than an official test, it was allowed by the governing body and rival teams. Designed by former Renault man Pat Symonds, the MR01 - fitted on Monday with demonstration Pirelli tires - does not feature a 'step nose', uniquely in common with technical partner McLaren's 2012 solution. "It has been a long and frustrating wait for everyone in the team but we can now get back on track and start working towards the first race of the season in Australia next weekend," said team boss John Booth. The car must now pass the missing FIA crash test before Melbourne, and Symonds sounds hopeful. "The component in question has actually passed an 'unobserved' crash test but has been performing inconsistently in the observed tests," he is quoted by Reuters.

Barcelona To Propose Race Share Deal To Valencia: Organizers of the Spanish Grand Prix are set to propose once again that Valencia shares a single annual date on the Formula One calendar in future. Both the Barcelona and Valencia venues have admitted to financial troubles amid Spain's dire economic situation. F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is pushing the Spanish organizers to agree a deal whereby they open up a date to a new host country by annually alternating their races. Valencia, however, is believed to have rejected a proposal along those lines made by the Catalonian government last year. "They said they were happy with how Formula One had developed to date in Valencia and believed they could continue doing it the same way," Barcelona official Germa Gordo, reportedly close to Catalonia president Artur Mas, told the DPA news agency. "We understand that although there was the rejection, the new Valencian government is prepared to consider a proposal," he added. "The offer will be made in the coming weeks."

Pic Preparation 'Sad And Frustrating' Admits Panis: Charles Pic's situation leading into his rookie season in Formula One is "sad and frustrating". That is the claim of his manager Olivier Panis, the 1996 Monaco Grand rix winner and former Toyota racer and McLaren test driver. His well-sponsored countryman Pic, 22, will debut in Melbourne this month alongside the experienced Timo Glock, having never turned a wheel in his 2012 car. Ahead of next weekend's season opener, the new Marussia is yet to pass all the FIA crash tests, which has left the former Virgin team grounded throughout February's test period. "It's sad and frustrating," admitted Panis, when asked about Pic's situation. "The beginning will be difficult for him," he told RMC. For F1's backmarkers, including HRT who have also struggled through the winter, the tougher crash tests are just another hurdle, atop tackling the financial might of rival giants like Ferrari and Red Bull. The sport's chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is unapologetic. "If we tried to make things less complicated, you will always find the guys at the top looking for that tenth of a second. "That's the difference between the winners and losers," he told the Sun newspaper.

Man Tipped To Succeed Ecclestone Leaves F1: Senior F1 official David Campbell has left the sport. Late in 2010, Bernie Ecclestone appointed Campbell - whose most famous achievement was the transformation of London's O2 Arena - to succeed the retiring Paddy McNally. McNally headed the lucrative trackside advertising company Allsport and the Paddock Club. Campbell was therefore tipped as a likely successor for 81-year-old Ecclestone. But a report in the Independent quoted CVC as confirming Campbell "has left". "It didn't really work out," said the source. "Bernie wanted to take the business in a different way, and that wasn't the basis on which we hired David."