Friday: The Pleasant Surprise of Hamilton for McLaren
And what if we had to count on McLaren and more precisely Lewis Hamilton for this 2009 German Grand Prix? The British driver finished at the top of the second free practice session ahead of the Red Bulls and other Brawn GP cars. Moreover, a new complete aerodynamic package is on his MP4/24. The reigning […]
And what if we had to count on McLaren and more precisely Lewis Hamilton for this 2009 German Grand Prix? The British driver finished at the top of the second free practice session ahead of the Red Bulls and other Brawn GP cars. Moreover, a new complete aerodynamic package is on his MP4/24. The reigning world champion does not want to get carried away and will wait until tomorrow.
His teammate, Heikki Kovalainen, is not in the same situation as he has no upgrades on his car, and the result is clear and unmistakable. He is beyond the 17th place.
Lewis Hamilton – 13th and 1st:
« The car still doesn’t have grip, but there has certainly been an improvement on the parts tested today. We always had a long way to go, but more importantly, these new updates are pushing us in the right direction. It’s a work in progress, but the guys back at the factory did an incredible job for this circuit. I even heard about a guy who worked 36 hours non-stop to change and build parts, which is amazing. We hope we can do our job on track and try to move forward. It’s still early, maybe. I’m hopeful we can make it to Q3 tomorrow and look to score some points on Sunday afternoon. »
Heikki Kovalainen – 18th and 17th:
« Obviously, there were differences between the two cars today. Without the updates, we didn’t have a good base package and there are issues with getting the tires up to temperature. But the absence of parts is simply an indication of how hard we are working, and of course, I understand that. There are people working day and night to get these new parts on track. It’s just unfortunate not to have two copies on both cars. But it is very encouraging for the whole team because the improvements seem to be working on the car. For my engineers and myself, the most important thing we can do is stay positive, focus on the rest of the weekend, and keep pushing. »
Martin Whitmarsh – Team Principal:
« An afternoon that encourages Lewis, who used the new aerodynamic package. Although it’s still early, I’m sure we need to put in even more effort to get back to the levels of Red Bull Racing and Brawn GP. I think there are good signs of improvement. It was a more difficult day for Heikki, who unfortunately did not have the new aerodynamic package. He also had traffic. But he’s a fighter, and I’m sure he will perform well this weekend. »
