Friday: McLaren loses balance in the afternoon

McLaren started its race weekend very well on the Valencia circuit. The initial practice sessions showed that the MP4/24 could be competitive for this European Grand Prix. Only beaten by a Brawn GP (Barrichello’s), both McLaren drivers made it to the podium with 2nd place for Heikki Kovalainen and 3rd for Lewis Hamilton.

In the afternoon, the situation was quite different as Lewis Hamilton got a bit too close to the barriers and walls. That doesn’t forgive; a minor touch and everything is off with the car, especially since there weren’t enough parts to change the wing. The Briton loses time and is only 20th. His teammate narrowly makes it into the top 10 a few hours before the qualifiers.

Heikki Kovalainen – 2nd and 10th:

« I am very satisfied with my day yesterday. We followed the program we had planned exactly, and the car is performing quite well. For me, it’s a better start than my weekend in Hungary, and I think we are in good shape. The pace between the cars is very close. We’re starting Saturday focused on achieving a good result. »

Lewis Hamilton – 3rd and 20th:

« I touched the wall, but I didn’t feel an impact. The front wing was still hit, but it cannot be repaired. Hopefully, we can get a new one today; otherwise, we will have to make some changes because we don’t have many wings. I’m not too satisfied with the car in the morning, but the changes we made between sessions have been very positive. It’s frustrating to have spent so little time on the track, but I think everything will go well today. »

Martin Whitmarsh – Team Principal:

« We enjoy this circuit; it is unique and presents a challenge for the drivers, engineers, and mechanics. Unfortunately, Lewis [Hamilton] became aware of the ruthless nature of this place by hitting the wall at the beginning of the second session. It was only a slight contact, but enough to break a small part of the nose and disrupt everything. For the team, the work stoppage at the factory caused a shortage of spare parts for this weekend. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough components for Lewis to finish his afternoon. In this case, more spare parts arrived last night and will be ready for today. Despite this incident, we are still encouraged by the pace demonstrated by both our drivers today. »