Beijing, Apr. 18 : Lewis Hamilton has expressed surprise over the exit of Ron Davis from Formula One, but was not disappointed.

"I wasn't disappointed," said Hamilton. "I was surprised as I hadn't heard about it. I was just as surprised as the rest of my team. Of course, Ron has been a huge force in supporting my life and he still plays a key role in that," the Daily Express quoted hamilton as saying after he had set the fastest time during first practice in China.

Shanghai - Jenson Button will be out for his third straight season win at the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday now that his fast Brawn GP car has been declared legal.

The governing body FIA said on Wednesday that diffusers used by Brawn, Toyota and Williams meet F1 rules, forcing other teams to play catch-up which could take several weeks.

The diffuser is an aerodynamic feature which channels air out of the back of the chassis. It affects the car's downforce which in turn enhances speed and performance, allegedly making the car half a second faster than others over one lap than one without the diffuser.

London, April 13 : Jenson Button reportedly hit the roof when his new sponsor seemed to try his luck with the Formula 1 ace's lingerie model-girlfriend.

The 29-year-old, winner of this year's Australian Grand Prix, landed in a heated argument with married billionaire Richard Branson over lover Jessica Michibata while dining at plush eaterie Nobu in Melbourne.

Hamburg - Formula One driver Timo Glock believes there is a good chance of FIA ruling in favour of the diffusers being used by Williams, Brawn GP and his Toyota team. Motorsport's ruling body will hear the protests lodged by BMW- Sauber, Ferrari and Red Bull against the controversial designs on Tuesday in Paris.

"Three teams had the same idea. This shows that they believed it was legal from the start," Glock told the German ZDF national television network.

London, Apr 12 : Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is ready to quit McLaren if his team is banned from races over the Liargate scandal.

Hamilton is still furious after being ordered to lie to stewards following the season's opening Australian Grand Prix, News of the World reported.

McLaren can be kicked out of the constructors' championship for the second time in 18 months when they appear before motor sport chiefs in Paris on April 29.

Paris - Formula One team McLaren-Mercedes will have to could face further sanctions over the incident in Melbourne in which Toyota driver Jarno Trulli was first penalized for overtaking McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

The sports governing body FIA said Tuesday that McLaren would have to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on April 29.

Trulli, who finished third, was penalized 25 seconds for overtaking in a safety car phase and Hamilton, who placed fourth, was bumped up to third as a result.