McLaren wants to raise its level in Bahrain

McLaren must raise its performance level at the next race in Bahrain if the team wants to avoid seeing Ferrari dominance like in Malaysia. That is the desire of Martin Whitmarsh, the chief executive of McLaren F1.

After a victory in Australia, the Woking team was unable to directly confront the Scuderia in Sepang where Kimi Räikkönen won the Grand Prix.

Whitmarsh stated that his team needed to quickly regroup in order to bring improvements to their car.

« You are always worried when you have been beaten, and Ferrari feels the same way when the opposite happens, » commented Whitmarsh.

I think we don’t have as good results as we would have wanted for this weekend in Malaysia. We need to make sure to make the car faster.

Whitmarsh believes that the outcome of these first two races of the 2008 season puts Ferrari and McLaren on equal footing. Therefore, a mistake cannot be considered.

« We are going to Bahrain and try to win the battle. We left Malaysia with a slight hint of disappointment but we are still in control of both championships. »

« It is a situation we should maintain as it is by ensuring we raise our level of competitiveness in Bahrain and during the European season, » he continued.

The competition between Ferrari and McLaren means that the key to the championship will lie in the team’s ability to develop and improve its cars quickly.

Whitmarsh added: « It is set to be an exciting season and you need to improve your car in terms of competitiveness, increase your total points, and do a good job in setting up the single-seater. »