Officials from the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One team have voiced their delight at returning to the Japanese race track where the team won the World Championship over 30 years ago.

After excelling in practice at the Fuji Speedway, representatives commented that the results were an encouraging sign of what is to come.

"With only three races to go the entire team knows how important it is for us to leave Japan with a strong points tally," said Ron Dennis, McLaren’s Team Principal.

Meanwhile, President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Norbet Haug commented that the track was "first class".

"Today we were fast, consistent and have done all of our planned laps on this new challenging circuit," he stated.

Mr Dennis claimed that the event marked "a welcome return" to the track, which holds happy memories for the McLaren team.

Both Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, have expressed anticipation ahead of this weekend’s big race.

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Formula One pros Lewis Hamilton ad Fernando Alonso have excelled during practise sessions at the Fuji Speedway.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racers, who are currently top of the drivers’ championship with Hamilton in first place, have both voiced anticipation ahead of this weekend’s big race following some familiarisation of the track.

Both drivers were focused on grip issues, with Hamilton suggesting that it can be challenging when the racer is not sure when levels will stabilise.

Meanwhile, double world champion Alonso stated that grip levels were low at first and that work really began during the second practise session.

But he added: "So far so good and we experienced no problems."

Hamilton added that he had also not encountered any problems and had made progress, stating: "In the second session we focused on some longer runs and everything seems to be going in the right direction."

Alonso stated that he was eager for "a competitive weekend".

The pair gained the best lap times during their test runs on the circuit, with Hamilton making the top spot by a whisker.

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Prestigious automaker Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to change its sponsorship focus to incorporate a select variety of sports while branching out further into the field of fashion.

The firm has stated that it intends to shift its sponsorship emphasis towards golf, soccer and equestrian activity, as well as increasing its lifestyle and fashion forays.

Recently, the company announced that it would reach a positive conclusion to its three-year contract with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) next year, a relationship which it describes as being "highly rewarding".

"Over the years, our partnership with the ATP has had a very high brand fit for Mercedes-Benz - but we are now adding a new angle to our revised brand positioning," said Dr Olaf Gottgens, vice president of brand communications at Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars.

He went on to state that through the partnership, Mercedes-Benz was able to support important developments in the tennis world.

The firm recently became the official car sponsor of the Presidents Cup golfing tournament, which incorporates 34 matches in total.

Both Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers are focusing on this weekend’s race in Japan and not paying heed to press rumours.

Speaking recently, the two racers, who are currently top of the championship leadership, with Alonso not far behind Hamilton, iterated their desire to do their jobs professionally rather than have to put paid to media gossip.

Second on the leaderboard, 22-year-old Lewis Hamilton commented that there could be extra pressure on team-mate Fernando Alonso in the next race as he is the defending champion.

"In the last two races he has done really well," Hamilton stated, adding: "He seems to be quite happy in the team all of a sudden, or with himself at least."

Meanwhile, Alonso stated that he was anticipating getting on the track for the race where he would be able to do his job.

"At the moment … I am completely focused on the last three races and that is the truth," he stated.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team recently clocked up the fastest laps in practice at the Fuji circuit, with Hamilton achieving one minute 18.732 seconds and Alonso just behind on one minute 18.948 seconds.

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Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton has spoken of his childhood dream of becoming a Formula One driver.

The 22-year-old, who is currently leading the Driver’s World Championship, has said that actually achieving his goal has made him realise that much more surrounds the profession than just getting behind the wheel.

"I’m 22, but all these years I’ve dreamed of being an F1 driver," he said, adding: "As a youngster you dream about it and you only think about driving the car. But there’s so much around F1 and really it’s been quite a phenomenal experience for me this year."

He added that he first started out in the Formula One feeder sport GP2 and worked to become the best.

At this point, he doubted whether he may be able to achieve the same status in Formula One, but threw caution to the wind and went on to follow his dream.

"So eventually I got to F1 and it was everything and more than I anticipated," he stated, adding that he smiled constantly because he was "always having good fun".

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racer recently claimed that he felt his team was the best and over the season he had begun to realise that McLaren had a fighting chance of winning overall.

"I went to the first race and I wanted to do a good job, and I was third - my first podium. From there, I was continuing to try to do a good job and to learn and hopefully get some more podiums," he stated.

The driver said that after winning in Montreal and Indianapolis, it began to sink in that McLaren could win the championship.

"But I think for every race it’s important for me to focus and just remember that it is my first year," he concluded.

This weekend’s race in Japan will cover 67 laps of the Fuji Speedway, equating to 189.975 miles.

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Completing the Costs Down, Revenue up, Execution (CORE) programme ahead of time anticipated is an illustration of the enormous effort made by Mercedes-Benz employees.

Rainer Schmuckle, Chief Operating Officer of the Mercedes Car Group responsible for production, quality and purchasing and director of the CORE program, has praised the commitment of staff in reaching the goal.

"The fact that we are able to complete CORE ahead of schedule - and, most importantly, with such success - is a testimony to the tremendous effort made by our employees and demonstrates that our organisation has what it takes to get the job done," he said.

As a result of employees’ openness to change, Mercedes-Benz has become all the more competitive, Mr Schmuckle stated.

CORE was implemented in 2005 in a bid to increase productivity and efficiency, while also reducing costs.

The initiative also aimed to generate higher profits while improving quality.

Classic car enthusiasts will soon be able to adorn their walls with images of their favourite vintage models from Mercedes-Benz.

The luxury car maker is launching a 2008 calendar under the moniker The Look of Love, highlighting the vehicles’ aesthetic appeal.

Among the models featured is the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster from 1934, with its elegant body and chrome trim.

The model was the fastest of its time and was capable of achieving 160 horsepower with its supercharged, eight-cylinder engine.

Meanwhile, the 300 Sc coupe from 1955 is another of the vehicles showcased in print. Made in limited numbers, the model is now highly sought after along with the 300 SL.

In addition, the top-of-the-range Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 joins the line-up, created in 1975 to offer the unrivalled performance of a sports car in combination with a fresh yet composed look.

The 12 cars featured were chosen to evoke different emotions and aim to capture the mood of the various eras.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton may be facing a big challenge ahead in Japan, but he plans to remain calm and collected under pressure.

Speaking to the BBC, Hamilton - who is currently two points ahead of team-mate and double world champion Fernando Alonso - said that the reality of being able to win was just sinking in.

"It’s been a strange experience to realise I can win in F1 and for the championship to become a reality," the 22-year-old said.

He stated that it was "important" for him to remain calm and relaxed, adding: "It’s been phenomenal."

Hamilton recently claimed to be anticipating the forthcoming race in Fuji, despite not being familiar with the track.

Meanwhile, Alonso said that he is expecting the championship to swing between drivers rather than just be an easy win for McLaren.

"Ferrari were strong at Spa, we were strong at Monza, everyone in the team is pushing hard to be strong at Fuji, Shanghai and Interlagos," he stated.

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Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is banking on a Japanese track to offer a great racing opportunity.

Currently placed first in the driver standings, Hamilton stated that he was initially disappointed not to be able to drive at Suzuka, but added that he has relished trying out new tracks this season.

"I haven’t even seen Fuji Speedway yet, but I am sure it will be a great place to race," he commented.

The young racer said that the Fuji track would provide a "slightly different challenge", which should prove quite exciting.

"Everything is so close in the championship now, so we have to go out there in Fuji and get as many points as possible. It would be great to win," he stated.

Another aspect of the race Hamilton is looking forward to would be winning in front of the "enthusiastic" fans, as he states that Japan is one of his favourite countries.

Meanwhile,Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Chairman Ron Dennis recently stated that the team was keen to get onto the track in Fuji and win.

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Efficient cost-cutting practices have helped Mercedes-Benz to reduce overheads by billions of pounds over the past three years.

In total, the luxury car maker has reduced costs by €7.1 billion (£4.9 billion) over the period.

The savings were achieved by following the CORE programme introduced in 2005 by former head of Mercedes-Benz Car Group Eckhard Cordes.

Rainer Schmueckle, chief operating officer at the firm, stated that before the cost programme was into place, the monetary situation could have been better.

"We had quality problems. We needed to do something," he said.

The CORE system aimed to increase productivity while reducing complexity and the number of parts needed to build vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz plans to finish the programme - which also incorporated 43,000 individual measures - at the end of this month.

After a return of 8.2 per cent of sales during the first half of the year, the firm does not forecast this figure to lower over the second half and would like to see a ten per cent margin achieved by 2010.

"We have kept enough powder dry to reach this target as soon as possible," stated Mr Schmueckle.