Whitmarsh takes blame over Button slump
Martin Whitmarsh has taken some responsibility for Jenson Button's wretched Canadian Grand Prix
McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted failing Jenson Button throughout the course of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Button endured his worst few days since joining the team two and a half years ago, finishing a wretched 16th in a race won by team-mate Lewis Hamilton who now also leads the championship.
"Jenson is a great racing driver, but we served him badly over the weekend," said Whitmarsh. "His rear tyres were completely shot because we didn't long-run with his suspension set-up on Friday. That was our fault. We didn't give him a car he could perform in."
He went on: "Looking at what is happening with the rear tyres I think the car was excessively hard on them. It was killing the tyres.
"But we have a lot more data, so we will sit with the engineers and do more analysis.
"He is a super-smooth driver and we just didn't give him a car he could do it with. We have to get it right."
Whitmarsh feels his team could even remedy Button's ills prior to the next race, the European Grand Prix in Valencia in 12 days' time.
"He has a smart head on his shoulders, he is strong minded and he will keep his head up," added Whitmarsh.
"He is capable of coming back, and I hope he does. He could be the first driver to repeat a win this season."
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It normally takes ages to change the gearbox and clean up etc but the McLaren boys did it in a couple of hours to at least allow him to have some running time in practice. But he missed almost two out of the three practice sessions because of that. So of course he had no time to set up the car.
Martin Whitmarsh was taking responsibility for that and not that he couldn't be bothered to set Jenson's car up. And Jenson couldn't just copy Lewis Hamilton's set up because of completely different driving styles.
Iam shocked at martin whitmarshes statement he and his team one of the best in the world and to send a driver of jensons calibre out in a unsorted car is an insult to both jenson and his sponcers I am a motor sport fanatic have been for 60 years and yes I hate ball games not enough excitement for me I love engines and speed F1` should be free on regulations fix an engine size then turbo,huge slicks ground effects, traction control , take the helm away from bernie he has single handedley robbed F1 all those billions of pounds he has taken from the sport should be there to help the smaller teams not make him a fat cat, drop entrance fees , get rid of monaco of the calender whats the use of racing on a track you cant overtake on how he slated silverstone, at least you can park there, there are run off areas ,sand traps and the public can walk all the way around ,try that at monaco
Allistair Williamson....McLaren have no part in the tyres. There is nothing McLaren can do to make better tyres for next year.
Pirelli make the tyres and ALL teams use the same tyres. this has been a basic rule in place in F1 for at least 6 or 7 years.
The only issue was that Mclaren did not do a long run of laps with Jenson's car in the practice sessions on the Thu and Fri before the race.
Jenson will bounce back, he always does, but McLaren need to improve their pit stops as the Strategy and the drivers are fine. Ferrari and Red bull are better in the pit stops department at the moment.
One might suggest that from the post race chats that Mr. Button had/gave he discounted that the/his problem(s) were entirely the result of the tyre compound(s) being wrong. He did not discount, however, that some of the blame might lie in and with himself. Also within the team, up to a point.
Now that's a fair assessment.
That said, it was a terrific race. More please.
I had to fork out an additional £400 (on top of my tv licence fee) just to watch F1 on sky. Money i could gladly put to use elsewhere, but i love F1 even more than football.
I was thinking the same about the errors with Hamilton it looked more than coincidence race after race if it wasn't the pits then it was very poor strategy. But obviously I'm a Hamilton supporter - I struggle with all the Tea & Sympathy he gets from Beeb commentators whether he performs or not. It's Jenson and not Button.
Mr. Barton, it sounds good to think and imagine that Alonso is the best driver. Each and everyone has the right to think and to reason the way he/she (deemed right) wants.
Mark do you remember, Lewis first year in F1, who was his (Lewis) team mate??? (It was Mr. Alonso). By then Alonso had 2 world titles . But Lewis beat Alonso in Lewis maiden year. So you be JUDGE. If Alonso and Lewis happened to have the same EQUIPMENT.
Thanks
