Sutil can challenge Hamilton - Kolles - Sport in brief

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Hamilton drove alongside Sutil for the ASM team in the Formula 3 Euroseries in 2005. Sutil finished second to his team-mate that season, after Hamilton dominated by achieving a record-setting 15 race wins from 20 starts, compared to Sutil's two victories.

And Kolles believes the 24-year-old German driver will be able to challenge McLaren's championship leader Hamilton, saying: "In Adrian Sutil we have the number one challenger to Lewis Hamilton. But we have to provide our drivers with a better car so they can challenge."

He added: "Adrian was Lewis Hamilton's former team-mate in Formula 3 so they know each other's strengths and they know each other's weaknesses.

"He is a promising young talent for us, but we have to be realistic with where we are at the moment in terms of the car.

"We are always working on improving the car and we need to provide him with a better car to compete against the best teams and drivers. Adrian is a big asset for the future.

"I believe in the future Adrian will be a big rival on the track to Lewis Hamilton."

James Key, who has been technical director at the team since 2005, admitted he has been shocked at the quick rise to fame of Hamilton during his rookie season in F1.

He told PA Sport: "I don't think anyone expected him to be as competitive straight out of the box as he has been. And also to be taking on his team-mate (reigning champion Fernando Alonso), who is obviously a very highly-respected driver.

"So I think it has been a surprise for everyone, but it's a good thing as it's sparked a lot of interest, so it can only be a good thing for F1."