Hamilton eyes strong result

Hamilton was forced to make a handful of apologies in the wake of his controversial sixth-placed finish in the principality 10 days ago.

Initially Hamilton "made peace" with the four-man panel of stewards after suggesting, via an obvious joke that badly backfired, that his skin color lay at the heart of their choice making.

The 26-year-old vented his frustration against the stewards after being penalized three times over the path of the weekend, and five times in six races this year.

Hamilton was given drive-through penalties - one looking back - for causing a collision with first Felipe Massa in his Ferrari and then Williams' Pastor Maldonado, the latter at a time when he was on course to score his first points for the team.

The McLaren star described the Brazilian and Venezuelan as "ridiculous" during his post-race outburst, later apologizing to both men via his Twitter account on which he had also been ill-treated in the aftermath of what unfolded.

Hamilton has already made it clear a invasion in one of his favourite races, the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, will help put the stigma of what happened in and after Monte Carlo behind him.

Aiming for a third win in five races at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Hamilton said: "Montreal is a very special place for me.

"It's where I took my first Formula One pole location and won my first race. I also won there last year from pole.

"I've always got on actually well with the track as the layout seems to suit my driving style.

"Perhaps even more prominently the fans in Montreal, and everyone in North America who makes the trip to the city, are some of the best in the world.

"They are so positive, helpful and friendly. My trips to the city have been some of my favourite experiences in Formula One.

Webber targets maiden F1 title in 2011

Mark Webber has a maiden Formula One title in his sights to banish recollections of an unbearable end to his 2010 campaign.

The Australian led the crivers' championship for Red Bull for most of the period only to be pipped at the post by team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who secured the title in the final race at Abu Dhabi.

Webber's year was conquered by controversy, as he accused his team of treating him as a "number two driver" and had a high-profile crash with Vettel in the Turkish Grand Prix which cost them both the chance of victory.

But in spite of missing out on the F1 crown, the 34-year-old says he has moved on from the disappointment of his near miss.

"I'm completely over it," he told the official Formula one website. "Life goes on and I don't feel any regret. It was fairly a season. It was an incredible year.

"I lost the championship in the last race and over the whole season no one had a one-race lead over the other guys fighting for the title. I still think I had the chance to be the champion, but I didn't do it because I didn't get the job done on the track.

"Every race was alive. Even if we'd had one more race after Abu Dhabi four guys could have still won the challenge. He (Vettel) did a great job and deserved the championship.

"There been a lot of great moments for me, but of course I didn't get the jackpot. But I am still very arrogant of what happened. I am definitely looking to improve this year."

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull rage back into the F1 limelight

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber stood next to each other and smiled at the same moment today, which was not forever the case for grand prix racing's new world champion and his team-mate last season, when both drivers went into the final race with a possibility of the title at the end of an internecine battle that had sometimes turned sour and was intended to finish in the young German's favour.

A new season began with the ceremonial presentation of the successor to the Red Bull-Renault that gave the team a clean sweep of the drivers' and constructors' championships. Both men, at opposite ends of their careers, could feel a surge of optimism by what was revealed when they pulled the dust sheet off the descendant to the all-conquering RB6, and again when Vettel ended the day with the fastest time of the field, having hammered the car around 93 laps of the taut little circuit in the semi-industrialised scrubland west of Valencia.

Formula One's new champion dismissed the close-season rumours connecting him with a move to Ferrari. "It's not smart to put too much weight on those things," he said. "In the off-season there are no wheels rotating, unfortunately, but obviously there are still pages to be packed with ink. I said many times I am happy where I am. I feel very relaxed in the team."

Schumacher targets eighth world F1 designation

Michael Schumacher believes he can sign off the bitter dissatisfaction of his comeback season and take a shock eighth world title this year at the wheel of his Mercedes.

The 42-year-old failed to arrive at the podium in 19 races in 2010 and was totally outshone by Nico Rosberg who finished the campaign 70 points in front of the German veteran.

But there were signs of development towards the end of 2010 and Schumacher's confidence has been boosted by team principal Ross Brawn overseeing an improved technical package.

Asked if he expected to be world champion at the end of the best campaign in F1 history with 20 races, Schumacher told F1 Racing magazine: "Absolutely.

"We have a three-year project. Very clearly right now, we are not where we want to be. We've put a lot of attempt into coming back and are hopeful we have a chance.

"But in the history of Formula One, when does it ever happen that you come back straightaway from this level to win in just one year? Very rarely.

"So I'm sure we can fight for wins this year and we might be able to fight for the title fight. I hope so.

"I'm here on a assignment and I want to succeed. I want to carry out and I'm going to put 100 percent into it. And if that's not the case in 2011, then we will contain to do it in the final year."

Schumacher will be back on track in Valencia for the first of the four pre-season tests from February 1 in front of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 13.

Badoer bids emotional farewell to Ferrari

Luca Badoer made his last look as an official Ferrari test driver at the Bologna Motor Show on Wednesday. Badoer, who has been with the Italian team since 1998, took charge of a 2009-spec F60 for a expression run at the event, which is held annually in the Italian city.

“Even after so many years of responsibility it, driving a Formula One car here, so close to the spectators, so as to let them get a close up feel for the power of these cars is a emotion one never gets used to,” said the 39 year-old. “Plus, today’s experience was more emotional than usual, because it is my last form in my role as official Ferrari test driver.

“The thing I will miss most is driving the Formula One car. I have never been one for the bright lights, as the one and only thing I required centred on my job of taking a car to its limits, working out where there was room for development. Although this is amazing I have missed for quite a while now, as testing has been cut back and there is not much for a test driver to do.”

Even though he had last raced for Minardi in the nineties, Ferrari chose Badoer to stand in for the injured Felipe Massa for two Grands Prix in 2009 at Valencia and Spa. The Italian, however, unsuccessful to shine at either venue, finishing 17th and 14th, and he was replaced by Giancarlo Fisichella for the rest of the season.

“The only apologize for is that I was only able to do two races,” said Badoer. “The team had self-assurance in me at that time and that is something I will always be grateful for. Unfortunately, at the time, I had not been driving for 10 months and establish myself at the wheel of a car that was difficult to adapt to and so I could not show what I could do.”