Saturday: Disappointing day for McLaren

Lewis Hamilton – 5th

Personally, I am very happy with my lap: I don’t think I’ve ever driven a car as hard as I did today. I even think I touched the wall at one point. Despite that, I’m only fifth, that’s all I could do. Nevertheless, I have hope that we will bring new improvements to the car quickly – it’s just a matter of time. I hope our race pace will be better than our qualifying pace: we lose a few tenths on the long straight and it costs us dearly. We have a very long seventh gear – maybe too long for qualifying – but it should help us for overtaking. It should allow me to fight with the guys in front of me. Tomorrow afternoon, it will be difficult, but the race is long and unpredictable and we are not out of the race.

Jenson Button – 7th

« We don’t quite have the pace we were hoping for and it’s a bit frustrating. My last lap in Q3 was really good, but I overdrived, locked the wheels, and lost time. I was close to beating Nico Rosberg at the last moment, but I think starting 6th was hardly better than starting 7th. Moreover, in seventh position, I’m on the clean side of the track.

Our race pace is always better than our qualifying pace and it’s a circuit where overtaking is possible, so we can hope to move up on the track. Fortunately, our consistency on both types of tires, softs and super softs, is a good thing. We will do our best, I’m sure the race is going to be fun.

Martin Whitmarsh

« Maybe our cars had a bit too much downforce for qualifying today, in the dry, but if it rains tomorrow, as the weather seems to indicate, then we’ll be in a good position. Nonetheless, whether the race takes place on a dry or wet track, we have two fantastic drivers, brilliant attackers, and we believe they will be able to fight with the others.

There have been 47 Grand Prix in Canada and McLaren has won 11 of them. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a magnificent circuit and often leads to exciting races.