Assessment: McLaren sinks to the bottom of the standings

A rather poor outcome for the McLaren team on this race Sunday. At the Istanbul Park circuit, both drivers were unable to make it into the top 10. They even finished beyond the top 12. Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen followed each other in 13th and 14th position.

The next two weeks promise to be challenging for the Woking team, which will retreat to its factory to try to find ways to improve because in two weeks, it’s the national Grand Prix for both the team and Hamilton. They must indeed limit the damage in front of Brawn GP and Button, who will also be racing at home.

Lewis Hamilton – 13th:

« It was a race without incident. I was very strong at the beginning by just attacking. That’s why I can smile because I think I am at my full potential. The most important thing for us is to keep confidence and maintain this pressure. I must now help the team find solutions to the problems with the 2009 car and make the 2010 one much better. When the team gives me a car to win, I will win. »

« Now, we are getting ready for Silverstone. I really want to tell Jenson [Button] that he is the best: He did a fantastic job today. »

Heikki Kovalainen – 14th:

At the beginning of the race, I really did my best and I’m happy about it. I had a good fight with Rubens [Barrichello], I held on partly thanks to our KERS. In the last stint, the engineers chose to protect my engine. However, we have to be realistic: We finished 14th and we all know we can do better.

Martin Whitmarsh – Team Principal:

« In extremely frustrating circumstances, Lewis and Heikki delivered a very impressive race this afternoon. They both attempted many things throughout the race, and we are grateful for their efforts. Of course, it’s frustrating not to score points, but the fact is that our car is not as fast as desired. »

« Now, we will return to Woking and work tirelessly to address its shortcomings, but there is no magic fix.