Sunday: Hamilton returns to the path of victory

Lewis Hamilton – Winner

This result is simply fantastic. I’m generally my own biggest critic – I’m always hard on myself when I make mistakes – but I really felt like I maximized everything today. I managed to maintain a good pace while being under pressure and without making mistakes, which is very rewarding.

« For most of the race, I focused on the gap with Fernando. He’s such a driver. He will never give you an inch, actually. In the last laps, I started thinking about the victory, but I didn’t want to, so I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t even think about it!’. It worked: I stopped thinking about it and didn’t allow myself to think about the victory until I crossed the line. »

Having Jenson on the podium with me was superb – good for me, good for him, good for the team, and it’s an extra motivation for the end of the season. The team was fantastic all weekend – with the strategy, the stops, everything – really top class. The whole package worked well today and I owe them a big thank you. It’s such an inspiration for me and the team. Being able to leave with a big smile is simply wonderful: the victory is good for morale.

Jenson Button – 3rd

« It was a tough race for me because I had an issue with my KERS, which rarely happens to us. After about 15 laps, it stopped working – and that not only affects the power coming out of the corners, but it also affects the braking. »

Fortunately, my engineer took the radio to tell me they had found a way to make it work again – but I had to press many buttons on the steering wheel for several laps because it was only partially coming back. So I was approaching a corner without knowing if I had engine braking because I had no indicator lights. So choosing the braking point was difficult.

«But, as I said, it’s extremely rare for us to have a problem with the KERS. Mercedes-Benz has done a superb job this year, and actually, I would say that it’s the best and most reliable KERS in the paddock: it’s a fantastic system, in fact. So as I say, it’s a rare problem – and even though the problem made the race a bit tricky for me, it made it even more rewarding to stay ahead of my rivals and be on the podium. »

« Finally, I would like to say ‘Well done Lewis’. He did a superb job today. It’s very positive to approach the end of the season on a good momentum because it’s the best way to build for next year. »

Martin Whitmarsh – Director of the McLaren Mercedes team

Lewis delivered a magnificent race without a single mistake today, taking the lead at the second corner and maintaining a gap with Fernando in fine style over the remaining 54 laps. Simply put, he was brilliant today. Jenson also had an excellent race, managing his KERS issues throughout, and finishing in a well-deserved third place, adding 15 solid points in his battle for second place in the drivers’ championship.

As I mention the KERS, I must commend the excellence of the Mercedes-Benz system. It has really been very reliable all year, and it has also brought interesting performance gains: the problem encountered today is something rare. So I want to say ‘Bravo!’ to all the guys in Brixworth, where the Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngine company is based, for their magnificent work this year.

«To return to today’s race, it’s always a fantastic feeling to see both Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers together on the podium, and today I am really thrilled for Lewis, but also for Jenson, as well as for the whole team of course. It’s Lewis’s 17th Grand Prix victory, all achieved for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, his third of the season, and for the sixth time this year we will have an opportunity to wear our famous red victory T-shirt. »

But 2011 is not over yet – we will then head to Brazil, to the famous Interlagos circuit, with its curves and elevations where Lewis and Jenson will give everything to secure a 7th victory for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.