Three in the frame - Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has named the three drivers he believes are competing to be his McLaren team-mate next season.

A vacancy has opened up alongside the Briton following Fernando Alonso's departure.

When asked who would be alongside him next season, Hamilton said on www.bbc.co.uk: "(Nico) Rosberg, (Adrian) Sutil or (Heikki) Kovalainen."

German Rosberg, son of Finland's 1982 world champion Keke, is favourite to replace Alonso but is under contract with Williams.

He finished ninth in the 2007 drivers' championship, while Renault's Kovalainen took seventh, boosted by his second place at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Finn could be the easiest to lure to the team after Renault chief Flavio Briatore today revealed he had offered Alonso a deal to return to the team where he won the 2005 and 2006 titles.

Sutil, another German, is a friend of Hamilton's. He drove for F1 minnows Spyker this year but is highly rated.

"The most important thing is that he is a team player," added Hamilton.