Saturday: McLaren expected… nothing more!

McLaren-Mercedes was not in form yesterday, McLaren-Mercedes is not in form today, but McLaren-Mercedes hopes to do better tomorrow. In one sentence, that sums up the current mindset of the team from Woking.

Heikki Kovalainen will be the first driver of the star to start tomorrow at the British Grand Prix, and yet, he is only 13th. The Finn has battled with the car to find a correct balance, but the MP4 was simply not well-born. Worse situation for Lewis Hamilton. The home Englishman will only be 18th on the starting grid. The reigning world champion could have expected a place among the top 15, but luck decided otherwise when in his last fast lap of Q1, an accident and a red flag halted his progress. The situation is as it is and it will have to be dealt with. Strategy optimization is the current watchword to aim for points in the race.

Heikki Kovalainen – 17th and 13th:

« The performance is very disappointing but given the circumstances, I am satisfied: I gave my best and I think I got the most out of the car. I made no mistakes and was on the limit the whole time. It’s a pity for Lewis [Hamilton] that he couldn’t improve his performance because of the red flag, I’m sure he could have joined me in Q2. »

« We knew that the circuit wouldn’t suit our car and that it would be difficult to reach Q3, yet the balance was good this afternoon. We are working really hard to turn the situation around and get the best set-up according to our FP3 data, but the work doesn’t stop there. Now, we need to optimize the strategy for the race. »

Lewis Hamilton – 11th and 19th:

The improvements we made overnight have made the car better, especially in fast corners, but we still lack the downforce to set the best times. I think I was able to push much more than yesterday. I did the best I could. I pushed hard, but the car is slow and I don’t think there was much more we could do today.

« On my last lap, I attacked, but there was nothing more to do. However, we can expect anything tomorrow. Nothing is over yet and we will attack to put on a show for the fans. It’s thanks to them that I can do my best every time. »

Martin Whitmarsh – Director:

Starting from the 13th position isn’t ideal, nevertheless, I think Kovalainen can be pleased with his performance given the circumstances. Hamilton, on the other hand, was unlucky and couldn’t finish his last lap in Q1 due to the red flag and Sutil’s accident. Today’s results are not surprising and they show that we need to work hard to improve the car’s weaknesses.

« We must stay focused on the race and make sure to please the many fans who came to support us this weekend! »