Sunday: McLarens out of the race
After an euphoric Canadian weekend for the British team, the reality of the Valencia track caught up with McLaren, whose cars clearly lacked pace during this Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton – 4th
I got off to a bad start and got passed by the two Ferraris. After that, the race was long, the team asked me to stay in the game as long as possible, and I gave it my all, but I was struggling with oversteer and, to be honest, I wasn’t completely comfortable with the tires. Being able to finish fourth is always a good result, and 12 points is a good score, especially after the last two races, so I can’t really complain. However, in terms of performance, we weren’t as fast today as we were in the last three races. But I want to thank the team for the really good pit stops today: we made significant progress in this area and it’s really appreciated. So, thanks again, guys.
Jenson Button – 6th
I got a decent start but the track narrows in turn 2, and I found myself stuck on the outside and Nico overtook me. I wasn’t fast enough to pass him easily, but I braked very late in turn 2 and eventually went past him, he must not have expected it. That was the best moment of the race for me. I had a decent race pace after that, and I tried to preserve the soft tires for as long as I could. Midway through the race, I lost the use of the KERS, which handicapped me not only on the exit of corners but also under braking. It wasn’t a fun race, but given how the car behaved, it’s a nice surprise to finish only eight seconds behind one of the Ferraris. Despite everything, we have a bit of work to do before Silverstone.
Martin Whitmarsh
« Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. Lewis and Jenson both lost places at the start while some of their rivals got off to a good start. Our drivers found themselves in traffic, and it’s always difficult to manage the tires when you’re following other cars too closely. That said, Lewis and Jenson drove well this afternoon, allowing us to score 20 valuable championship points. In two weeks, the F1 circus will travel to Great Britain for the Silverstone Grand Prix, which is the home race for the team. We had the fastest car in Barcelona, Monaco, and Montreal, but not here in Valencia. However, you can be sure that we will work tirelessly over the next ten days to have the fastest car possible at Silverstone ».
