McLaren wants to build on its momentum in 2013
McLaren ended the 2012 season with a bang, securing two victories in the last two races of the season. These performances bring a smile to the British team as they look forward to 2013.
The 2012 season for McLaren was made up of highs and lows. However, the last races of the championship brought smiles back to the faces of the men from Woking with Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Austin and Button’s in Interlagos, where Hamilton was also in a position to achieve a very good result. Sam Michael, the team’s sporting director, is convinced that McLaren can build on these good results to be a regular contender for victory in 2013.
« The car was really fast in the last two races and I think we can expect very good results next year. We must succeed in making progress as usual during the winter. Red Bull and Ferrari will do the same, not to mention the teams that will try to close the gap: Lotus and Mercedes. But we are confident that we can do things right during the winter and start the season strong. We will go to Melbourne to win, » the Australian announced to Sky Sports News.
Winning the first round of the championship is one thing, managing to maintain the pace is another. In 2012, the team led by Martin Whitmarsh seemed to be the one to beat after the first race in Australia, but the rest was not a walk in the park. With imprecise pit stops, a car sometimes difficult to set up, and reliability issues, McLaren was not always lucky: « We wanted to achieve better results in the end and fight for the championship. But the car was fast at the end of the season, and we are now fully focused on 2013. »
The 2013 season will see the arrival of Sergio Pérez replacing Lewis Hamilton, who will be joining Mercedes. The Mexican driver has already announced that he will aim for victory and the title, but for Johnny Herbert, the favorite for that at McLaren is Jenson Button, who will be starting his fourth season with the team: “He will be the team leader, and I think he is in a good position to win his second world title,” explained the former driver to Sky Sports.
The Englishman also points to Kimi Räikkönen as a driver to watch next season, provided that his Lotus is up to the mark: « He has come back and is hungry for success. He could be a threat next year. »
The 2013 season will not begin until March 17, but various predictions are already in full swing.
