Quotes of the week

LEWIS HAMILTON, F1 driver, McLaren
"I keep saying I am living my dream and it's really true. I've been working so hard for this. And to come into only my fourth grand prix and come out of it leading the world championship, when I'm driving with the top drivers in the world, is just incredible." (Lewis Hamilton is the youngest driver to lead the F1 Championship eclipsing Bruce McLaren's record by 35 days)

GIANCARLO FISICHELLA, F1 driver, Renault
"I expected to be going for the title this year and instead I will probably not even see the podium. The aerodynamics are not right," Fisichella explained. "From my perspective, it would be better to focus on 2008 so that we do not waste time working on a car that was born badly." He said the R27 initially looked good in the wind tunnel but turned into a "disaster" when it hit the actual winter test tracks. "Now, in testing, we are going back to the drawing board because we clearly did some wrong things with the design."

DALE EARNHARDT, Jr., NASCAR driver, departing driver for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
"It is time for me to continue his [father, Dale Earnhardt, Sr.] legacy in the only way I know I can – by taking the life lessons that he told me: Be a man, race hard and contend for championships. That's what I intend to do and I feel strongly I would have my father's blessing. We have decided it is time for me to move on. As the negotiations continued, one thing became evident, we both wanted me to get to the same place, but we simply had disagreements on how to get there," Earnhardt Jr. said. “Because DEI means so much to me, I felt it was best now for both of us to start focusing on our future so that we both come out of this successfully. DEI will always be a special place for me and my family. Teresa and Max Siegel are taking the necessary steps to bring DEI back to one of the front-running NASCAR teams. However I am 32 years old – the same age as my father when he made his final and most important career decision – and the time for me to compete on a consistent basis and contend for championships is now."

TERESA EARNHARDT, CEO, Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
“While we are very disappointed that Dale Jr. has chosen to leave the family business, we remain excited about our company’s future. Our aggressive expansion and diversification plans have not changed. This company has continued to thrive since Dale left us in 2001, and it will thrive following today’s announcement. Dale and I built this company to be a championship-contender, and those principles still apply. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will win, and we have other extremely talented drivers and hundreds of employees that are dedicated to the programs we founded. This company has a great legacy and a bright future, built on loyalty, integrity, and commitment."

TONY STEWART, NASCAR driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
"Without Dale Earnhardt Jr., DEI is a museum." Tony Stewart said these words on his Sirius Satellite Radio show in February.

DAVEY HAMILTON, IRL driver, Vision Racing
"It's the best. I can't really believe it's happening, to be honest with you. I honestly didn't really think I had the opportunity to come back and do this. I kept fighting and fighting, and got Hewlett-Packard to believe in me and believe in my story." (After coming back from serious injuries suffered at Texas Motor Speedway)

JUAN MONTOYA and his Crew Chief BRAD PARROTT, NASCAR team, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Parrott: The next time that 66 car gets around you in the pit I want you to give him the spot. Please.

Montoya: No. Why? You know….. (Tennessee Drawl) H…E…L….L… NO. I came here to race not to firkin cruise. H…E….L….L…. NO.

Parrott: I said on pit road Juan. OK. So we don’t damage our fenders.

JPM: H…E…L…L… NO! Get someone else… get another driver, if you want to do that. I was inside of him. I had… I was there already. HELL NO.