Formula 1: McLaren’s morale victory
MCLAREN team principal Martin Whitmarsh has praised Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button for keeping morale high and hiding their fears of a “tortuous season”.
Although both drivers voiced their concerns regarding the new car’s lack of pace and reliability, neither stuck the knife in or let the situation drag them down.
McLaren responded by turning round the situation in the space of just two weeks.
“If my engineers had told me they’d be able to do that I’d have said, ‘You’re nuts’,” said Whitmarsh.
McLaren’s engineers burned the midnight oil, taking a risk by ditching their radical exhaust concept.
In its place was a more simplified system that propelled Hamilton to second in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, with Button sixth after a drive-through penalty.
“Jenson and Lewis had a very tough winter of testing,” said Whitmarsh.
“They are both winners and, when you find yourself in a new car with unacceptable reliability, you can’t get the miles in, can’t learn about the car, can’t prepare yourself, then mentally you have to be very tough.
If my engineers had told me they’d be able to do that I’d have said, ‘You’re nuts
“I’m sure they were having thoughts of a tortuous season. But they were terrific for maintaining their morale and focus.
“We looked at whether we’d have fall-back solutions – I didn’t feel we had – so we took some risks.
“I’ll be disappointed if we don’t make progress now on the diffuser, the floor and the exhaust system.”