For McLaren, the speed of the MP4-25 is not satisfactory

Martin Whitmarsh, the head of the McLaren team, stated today that the team cannot be satisfied with the speed of its cars, despite the standings in the world championship at the start of the European season.

The team based in Woking was able to seize the opportunities presented to it during these first four races. With two victories under his belt, Jenson Button is at the top of the drivers’ standings. Despite these results, Whitmarsh believes there is still a lot of work to be done to take full advantage of the MP4-25’s potential.

He states thus:

It’s no secret to anyone, we will continue to push. This phrase takes on its full meaning when you know that Red Bull has secured pole position at every race so far.

The team leader displays his determination:

«We have a new package that we will bring to Barcelona but also to each race, we have demonstrated over the years that we can improve the car, race after race, and that’s what we will do. All the teams will try to do the same, we just have to do it at a faster pace. We are closer than we have been, but we are not satisfied with the car, we need to improve it and must do it as quickly as possible.»

Whitmarsh also acknowledged his team’s frustration with the attitude of the F1 world regarding the suspension control controversy. He reminded that the team had received the green light to develop its own version beforehand, but the FIA decided to ban the system after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

« It was understood that, by previous decisions, you could not have specific parts related to aerodynamics that move in relation to the suspended mass, but we felt that maybe some teams had taken advantage of this process. We asked the FIA and were surprised when we were told that such a system was legal… On this basis, we started development and intended to have such a system in China. Then, before the race, we were told that the FIA had reconsidered its position and that all of this was no longer legal, however, we had lost time. » he said.

For Whitmarsh, one must know how to be political:

«We are not trying to be critical of the FIA because we know that Charlie Whiting and the FIA have 12 teams harassing them to get decisions in their favor. Here, everything is about regulations and interpretations, but I was surprised when we got this positive decision because we were thrilled to be able to leverage our creative engineering abilities; we appreciate this kind of challenge.

He still admits his disappointment:

So yes, it was difficult to accept when we couldn’t introduce this process. It would have given us a small advantage, but we couldn’t do it anymore, so we moved on. That’s how it works. The FIA has to make tough decisions. We can always do better, and it would have been nice if we had a clear and precise message, but we didn’t get it.

Even forced to abandon his suspension plans, Whitmarsh says there is still much to do for McLaren.

«We can generate more support, we can bring the most aerodynamic efficiency, we can reduce sensitivity, we can make the whole thing lighter, we can do all these things. It’s our job and it’s what we love to chase after.»

Philosopher, he concludes with these words:

«If from time to time the regulations offer us an unexpected opportunity, we jump on it. This ground clearance issue presented itself to us and we seized our chance, but ultimately we couldn’t exploit it. »

At McLaren, there is a word that has always been known: Competition, it’s the soul of motorsport. The results are already satisfactory with points scored by Button and Hamilton, but to win, nothing can be left to chance and anticipation is the key. The English team relies on a well-born single-seater with its major innovation, the “F-Duct.” Before the competition catches up, the silver arrows want to take the lead. With this new package planned for Barcelona, F1 fans and direct competitors will know what McLaren has in store to win.