Hamilton eyes Le Mans with Mercedes return

Lewis Hamilton has said he would contest the famous Le Mans endurance sports car race with Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes' Le Mans history is littered with success and failure: after the 1955 Le Mans disaster the German marque withdrew for decades, returning with some success with Sauber in the late 80s.

Another return in the late 90s culminated in another withdrawal after Mercedes' cars, one of them driven by new grand prix winner Mark Webber, repeatedly flipped at the 1999 Le Mans 24 hours.

"If Mercedes-Benz want to go to Le Mans one day and take me, I'll do that," the reigning formula one world champion, who drives with works Mercedes power for McLaren, told Britain's Sun newspaper.

Briton Hamilton, 24, said he is also interested in trying other forms of premier motor sport.

"I'd love to try a MotoGP bike but not particularly race one. I would love to try one of Malcolm Wilson's rally cars -- and one day I might try a NASCAR," he added.

He said he is not interested in America's premier Indy 500 race.

"To do the Indy 500 you have to be going at it. It would be unreasonable for me to expect to get in the car and go and win it.

"You have to have a good season in that kind of thing so I don't have any particular desire to do that," said Hamilton.