Ferrari and Hamilton flirt over future

Ferrari flirted with Lewis Hamilton on Friday, and the McLaren driver returned the favour as he ponders life beyond his current contract.

Initially when he arrived in Barcelona, pondering the new five-year contract signed by his former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso, Hamilton interpreted it as a closed door to a possible future with the famous Italian marque.

"I don’t really care," said Hamilton, who clashed memorably with Alonso in 2007. "I’ll beat him in another car."

But Ferrari responded swiftly, team boss Stefano Domenicali reminding the 26-year-old Briton that Felipe Massa’s expiring 2012 contract is in fact an open door at Maranello.

"Never say never in life, people can change," said the Italian, referring to the earlier Alonso-Hamilton spat. "For sure Lewis is a strong driver and in the future who knows what can happen," added Domenicali.

Hamilton always insists that home is at McLaren, but he told Germany’s Auto Bild that there are other potentially interesting homes in the paddock.

"The Prancing Horse is fascinating," he is quoted as saying on Friday.

"Definitely Ferrari is a fantastic team for who every driver would like to race," he added.

Explaining why he has always previously played down a possible move to Ferrari, Hamilton answered: "Well, they are our main opponents most of the time and you have to be careful what you say."