McLaren will revise its pit stop procedure
The McLaren team will conduct a thorough investigation into its pit stop procedures following the errors at the Bahrain Grand Prix that cost Lewis Hamilton dearly.
After Jenson Button was the victim of a rather long pit stop during the Chinese Grand Prix, likely costing him the victory, it was Lewis Hamilton’s turn to experience a similar mishap during the race in Bahrain.
Due to an issue with the rear-left tire, the British driver lost valuable seconds during his first two pit stops, dropping him beyond the tenth place while he was contending for a likely podium. Nevertheless, he managed to secure the eighth place finish in the race.
Combined with Jenson Button’s retirement due to exhaust problems at the end of the race, the McLaren team only returns from this weekend with four points, losing the top spot in the constructors’ standings to their rival Red Bull-Renault.
It didn’t take much for Martin Whitmarsh to react and make decisions with particular attention regarding the pit stop procedures: « We are going to review a lot of things. During the first stop, it was the left rear wheel nut that didn’t engage properly. And at the second, a problem with the wheel spindle, similar to what we had in China, appeared. But I don’t think we should individually criticize the mechanic involved. He is very affected, and it is our duty to support him. »
The McLaren boss fully supports his team and therefore does not wish to stigmatize the mechanic in charge of the left rear wheel, even though he was replaced during the race following this mistake: « These are guys who aren’t paid extra to do this job. They put themselves in the line of fire and are under enormous pressure. So naturally, I am very protective of them. And they deserve it. »
Translate: Lewis Hamilton, although very disappointed, is in the same mindset as Whitmarsh: « I don’t know who it is yet, but I’m going to go see him [the mechanic] and try to lift his spirits. That’s all I can really do, otherwise it’s about doing my best and staying positive. »
But he wants his team to recover quickly and not lose sight of their goal of being at the top of the championship: « There will need to be an internal investigation into this incident because we lost a lot of points and the lead in the championship. We must therefore ensure we gain on our rivals in the upcoming races. We cannot afford to lose points like today [editor’s note: yesterday]. »
