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FORMULA 1 – SPYKER: McLaren rubbish new Rosberg rumours 7/17/2008 10:03 PM

/noticias.info/ McLaren have moved to rubbish claims in the German press that Nico Rosberg is being lined up to replace Heikki Kovalainen next year.

Speculation about Rosberg's future erupted on Wednesday when Michael Schumacher's manager Willi Weber, who also looks after Williams test driver Niko Hulkenberg, claimed that Rosberg would be on the move at the end of the year.

Weber was quoted as saying about Rosberg: "He has a clause in his contract Williams can surely not fulfil....Rosberg will replace Heikki Kovalainen, who will change back to Renault."

Rosberg himself refused to comment about the reports when asked about them at Hockenheim on Thursday, but McLaren made it clear that Rosberg was not part of their plans for next year.

McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh said: "We can confirm that we have not had any contact with Nico Rosberg, or with his management, about him driving for us in 2009."

Even though Weber's predictions about McLaren have been denied, by making his comments about Rosberg he may well have achieved his aim of making it clear that the German is potentially available for next year.

There are suggestions that Rosberg's contract with Williams for 2009 depends on the team finishing in fourth place or higher in the constructors' championship - meaning he would have an available escape clause should another team be interested.

And Rosberg's departure would, of course, leave a seat potentially available for Hulkenberg notas_de_prensa_archivo