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■ FORMULA ONE

Toy-racer honors Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is about to become bigger than ever in Britain thanks to an artist who paints by using remote-controlled toy cars. Ian Cook has been skidding and steering the tiny cars around an 8m x 12m spread this week to create a giant portrait of Hamilton. The picture will go on display in London from Wednesday until after the title-deciding Brazilian Grand Prix on Nov. 2. Cook’s technique reflects one of Hamilton’s boyhood passions, with the Briton a champion radio-controlled car racer. “This concept started last Christmas when I received a radio-controlled car from my then-girlfriend and she said ‘Don’t take it down to your studio and don’t get paint on it,’” the artist said. “I thought ‘Ah, that’s a good idea.’” He has around 40 cars at his disposal, with the wheel arches modified to cope with the paint and each with different speeds and characteristics. The paint is applied to the tires with the cars powered up. Sometimes full size car tires are rolled across the backdrop for added texture.

■ BASEBALL

Japan coach says no

Japan’s Olympic coach Senichi Hoshino has refused to stay on to lead the defending champions at next year’s World Baseball Classic. “Even if I am asked I will turn it down,” Hoshino told Japanese media yesterday. “I have informed [Japan’s baseball] commissioner of my decision.” Hoshino suffered intense criticism after Japan failed to secure a medal at this year’s Beijing Olympics. “I’ve already been engulfed in flames once — why should I have to drag someone’s chestnuts out of the fire again?” he told his personal Web site. “I don’t want to put my family through that again.”

■ SOCCER

Drogba a diver: Mourinho

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has labeled the club’s striker Didier Drogba “a diver.” Mourinho, now in charge at Inter Milan, left the Premier League side just over a year ago having repeatedly defended Drogba against charges of diving. But the Portuguese told feelfootball.com: “I am no longer Chelsea coach, and I do not have to defend them any more, but I think it is correct if I say Drogba is a diver. Drogba, Ronaldo, Torres and van Persie are the divers. Who dives more? ... But English football is the one that criticizes the divers the most.”

■ SOCCER

Pompey stars go to school

Foreign players at Portsmouth are taking English lessons at a language school so they have a clearer understanding of manager Harry Redknapp’s instructions. The aim is also to make sure that players at the Premier League club are better able to communicate among themselves during the heated atmosphere and noise of a match day. Such common English soccer expressions as “man on” are among those being taught with a table soccer game used to help illustrate the terminology. A spokesman for language school said improved English would also help off the field as well. “The lessons were inspired by the fact that the English level by the players and their wives was not adequate for living and working in Portsmouth. That was the springboard for the lessons and as well as that it is crucial for the players to understand instructions on the pitch.”