McLaren Report – Hamilton towards the title… Alonso towards the leftovers

McLaren returns from Japan with a mixed record, which could even set tongues wagging. Lewis Hamilton, Ron Dennis’s protégé, claims his 4th victory in his first Formula 1 season, while Fernando Alonso, still a double world champion at this time, was involved in a spectacular accident but emerged unscathed.

McLaren decided, after the start was launched in the rain, to make only one stop, allowing Hamilton to retain the lead in the championship. He is now 12 points ahead of the Spaniard, who is increasingly being anticipated at Renault…

Alonso, meanwhile, is threatened with two races to go by Räikkönen, as he is now only 5 points behind. These are two reasons that make him doubt his chances for the title. He must regain 3 points per race from his teammate to win a third drivers’ title.

Lewis Hamilton – 1st

« The race, like me, was very turbulent… but I’m so happy to have won here. There were moments when I thought about stopping the race, but when the rain calmed down a bit, the conditions improved. »

« I never felt too much pressure and I think I could have pushed harder if needed. I was also lucky that my car wasn’t damaged in the collision with Kubica. I didn’t see it coming and was caught by surprise, then spun. After that, I focused as much as possible to stay on track. »

« I want to say a big thank you to the whole team, who did a great job throughout the weekend. It was an important victory for the championship, but I prefer to focus on the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai now. »

Fernando Alonso – Retirement

« In summary: A difficult race in challenging conditions; After my pit stop, I came back out into traffic and was fighting for points. It was hard to see anything because of the spray… especially on the straight. As a result, I didn’t see Vettel in my mirrors and was surprised to get hit. The car was a bit damaged, but I was able to continue. Unfortunately, when braking into turn 5, I aquaplaned and spun out. At this level, the walls are very close to the track and I hit them hard. »

« Obviously, the situation in the championship is getting complicated now, however I will keep fighting until the end because last year, the battle showed that anything could happen… »

Ron Dennis – McLaren Director

« The weather conditions here at Fuji have been a real challenge for the drivers and teams throughout the weekend. But by staying focused on the forecasts, we were able to ensure that Lewis or Fernando would have a chance of victory. Unfortunately for Alonso, he hit the wall due to the collision with Kubica. Hamilton, on the other hand, was clean and authoritative. »

The team will now focus on the last two races where Lewis and Fernando have a chance to win the title. We will ensure they have the opportunity to achieve it and look forward to an exciting end to the championship.

Norberg Haug – Director of Mercedes MotorSport

« It was a very difficult race with disruptive conditions. Hamilton had a very clean first stint but a more complicated second one with less downforce when Kubica touched him and damaged his rear wing. Alonso was in a difficult situation fighting in traffic and hit the wall when he went into aquaplaning. It’s not his fault. »

« The entire team worked really hard and brings home the victory and the fastest lap. We hope to achieve two double wins in the last two races… »