Hamilton call to join Schumacher

Formula One's new world champion Lewis Hamilton has been invited to compete against Michael Schumacher at Wembley Stadium next month in the annual Race of Champions.
Event organiser Fredrik Johnsson told a news conference on Friday that the 23-year-old McLaren driver had an open invitation.

"Lewis has said that he wants to do it," he said.

"It's a question of whether the team will let him and whether it is possible with his obviously very busy schedule at the moment.

"The invitation is open. We've got a second space on Team F1 Racing Great Britain next to David Coulthard," he added.

Hamilton arrived in Formula One after Ferrari's Schumacher had retired with seven world championships and 91 race wins.

The Briton, who became the youngest champion in last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, has said that he regrets never having the chance to test himself against the German.

"It would certainly help me a great deal if Lewis would come along," said Coulthard. "I'd love to ride on his coat-tails and win something."

The Race of Champions, with tons of asphalt laid out over Wembley's turf to create a two-lane track, pits competitors from various branches of motorsport against each other in a range of machinery on Dec. 14.

The event, founded in 1988 by Johnsson and France's former rally driver Michele Mouton, includes a nations cup with drivers paired in teams based on nationality.

Germany, with Schumacher and Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel, won last year.

Other Formula One drivers confirmed for this year's event include Australian Mark Webber, Britain's Jenson Button and newly retired compatriot Coulthard.

Five times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will also be competing along with Australia's triple superbike world champion Troy Bayliss, outgoing world touring car champion Andy Priaulx and Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen.

9th won for world champion Valentino Rossi

Newly crowned world champion Valentino Rossi won Sunday's Malaysia MotoGP to register his ninth win of the season.

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The Italian took the lead halfway through the race and surged clear of his rivals to record a comfortable victory on his Yamaha in the penultimate event on the MotoGP calendar.

Spain's Dani Pedrosa finished second on a Honda after starting the race from pole position and leading for the first nine laps on a baking hot day at the Sepang circuit.

Italian Andrea Dovizioso earned his first career podium finish in the sport's premier class when he reached the chequered flag third on a Honda just ahead of American Nicky Hayden.

Australian Casey Stoner, the 2007 world champion, finished sixth to wrap up second place in the championship with only next week's Valencia MotoGP to come.

Rossi wrapped up his sixth title in the sport's premier class in Japan last month and has now won six of the last seven grands prix. He finished runner-up to Stoner at the last round in Australia despite crashing heavily in qualifying and hurting his neck.

"I had a great battle early in the race with Dani, but I had ten laps alone which, although the track is fun, were hard work," Rossi told the MotoGP official website (www.motogp.com).

"I'm happy because it's my ninth victory of the year. I like this number and will try for ten in Valencia."

Pedrosa said that despite starting from pole and leading for nearly half the race, he always feared Rossi had his measure.

"Valentino always gives more in the race than in practice, and we need to learn this and push harder," the Spaniard said.

"Second place is very good and we are happy with this."

Dovizioso finished fourth in his MotoGP debut at Qatar in March but made it to the podium for the first time after a thrilling last-lap duel with Hayden.

"I'm really happy about my first podium," he said. "It was a very difficult this year, we had many problems. We worked a lot and can be really happy with the result."

Rossi's friend Marco Simoncelli completed a championship double for Italy when he clinched the 250cc world title on a Gilera on Sunday.

Simoncelli, 21, finished third in the 250cc race behind Spain's Alvaro Bautista and Japan's Hiroshi Aoyama, which was enough for him to open up an unassailable 26-point lead in the standings.

"I'm happy, this is wonderful," Simoncelli said. "I can't speak at the moment, I'm too hot."

Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi won the 125cc race ahead of Britain's Bradley Smith and Italy's Simone Corsi with French world champion Mike Di Meglio fifth.