One of the dramatic twists in the recent Australian race was the confirmation of the lack of competitiveness of McLaren-Mercedes’ MP4\/24 cars. The last winter tests indeed reflected the situation. However, the Woking team thought they would leave Melbourne with 6 points and a first podium thanks to Lewis Hamilton, but that was not the case. The Brit was disqualified from the Australian race.<\/p>\n
The team itself had stated before this latest twist that this result was the product of a series of circumstances, in other words, luck. For this new race in Malaysia, the two drivers and Whitmarsh do not expect any major revolution. With this same mindset, will McLaren-Mercedes be able to renew their constructors’ championship?<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton – Racing Driver:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00ab First of all, we must not get carried away by our surprise podium in Australia. Yes, we had a fantastic race, but we are all aware that our car is not capable of repeating that kind of performance in terms of pure pace. Sepang is one of the toughest tracks on the calendar.<\/p>\n
The circuit is both fast and technical, which requires good mechanical and aerodynamic grip. It will highlight the shortcomings of the MP4\/24 even more. Nevertheless, we are all very motivated by the progress we have made. I am certain that we will work as hard as possible for the Sepang race.<\/p>\n
Heikki Kovalainen – Race Driver:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00ab The Sepang track is a real challenge because it involves several compromises to achieve the best setup. There are long straights, where you need to have low downforce levels, but this tends to make the car too slippery in the corners. The best ones are numbers 6 and 7, a fast left-right behind the pits. \u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab At the car level, you must not only find the best balance but also ensure that the brakes and the cooling system are effective. Otherwise, you will be in trouble before the end of the race. The only difficulty for me is dealing with this stifling heat. Being from Finland, we often see the same temperatures but with a minus in front!<\/p>\n
Martin Whitmarsh – Team principal:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00ab Despite a good race result, our performance at the Australian Grand Prix is not what we hoped for. Reality will surely catch up with us this weekend in Malaysia, and a significant improvement is unlikely. \u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab Nevertheless, we are working to make the car more competitive. A tight schedule between the two races makes the possibilities for improvement quite limited, but there will be an upgrade of existing components already on the car. For us, the mission is clear: Improve our lap time so that we are faster than our competitors. It’s an important task that we take very seriously and we are confident that progress will be made sooner or later. \u00bb<\/p>\n