McLaren Review – The Silver Arrows… dressed in gold

McLaren took control of the championship after just one race. Free from Ferrari (for this race), Hamilton dominated this Grand Prix without ever being threatened.

The double win was highly conceivable, but the race decided otherwise, and Kovalainen finishes 5th, even though the 4th place was within his reach.

McLaren-Mercedes is tonight, more than ever, the leader in people’s minds, and Ferrari has cause for concern…

Lewis Hamilton – 1st:

« It’s fantastic, it’s the absolute dream this start to the season. I’m sad not to have Heikki by my side on the podium because a double would have been a great reward for the team.

« It was a great race that I controlled from the start. I was able to drive at my own pace without feeling any pressure. It’s the ideal situation when you’re the leader. The three safety car interventions never allowed for any relaxation. »

« We had to constantly adapt our strategy. The car is fantastic to drive, and the team has done a superb job. I have prepared myself much better this year, and it is important that we all continue on this path in the coming months. »

Heikki Kovalainen – 5th:

« Of course, my performance was better than what the result shows. Unfortunately, the safety car prevented me from finishing second. But I appreciate ending this week of work with the team on such a level of professionalism. »

« My start was good, I had a bit of graining on the tires, but it didn’t change anything. In my second stint and especially during the last part of the race, my car was really good and I was ‘flying’. I had great battles first with Kimi and then with Fernando which I really enjoyed. »

« I managed to overtake Fernando, but while trying to clean my visor, I accidentally hit the cruise control button and Fernando took advantage. »

Ron Dennis – McLaren F1 Director:

« An almost perfect race weekend for us. Lewis executed a flawless race with a strategy that paid off where his pit stops were made in anticipation of possible safety car interventions. He had no issues in the pits and was always ahead of Nick Heidfeld.

« Unfortunately, the last safety car outing cost him second place. He has shown us that he is a great race driver. There is still a long way to go and we have never underestimated our competitors. »

Norbert Haug – Director of Mercedes Motorsport:

A start to the season that takes the shape of a dream and all our hard work could not have been better rewarded. We began this Grand Prix with our 55th pole position and this was our 53rd victory.

Unfortunately, the safety car came out when we wanted to bring Heikki in. It’s a shame for him because he was having a great race for his debut with the team. But it’s only a matter of time before he gets a bigger reward.