Martin Whitmarsh upbeat about McLaren’s performance repeat in Turkey – Formula 1 News
McLaren’s Team Boss, Martin Whitmarsh, has urged that the team can repeat their winning Chinese Grand Prix performance, in the upcoming Turkish race. Martin added that the work done on the 2011 car, MP4-26, is admirable, which has transformed the car into
a winning machine.
McLaren team have secured two podiums finishes and one race win, in the first three races of the 2011 Formula 1 season. The team is the only nightmare for the roaring Red Bull team, who has dominated proceedings this season.
Whitmarsh believes that a performance similar to the team’s effort in Shanghai can be seen in the upcoming Turkish Grand Prix. He said, “Winning in China was a fantastic reward for all the hard effort that's been undertaken both at the racetrack and the
McLaren Technology Centre to turn the MP4-26 into a race-winner.”
The Englishman further added that Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have shown great speeds in the three races so far and will continue their run in the European part of the season.
The McLaren duo had struggled in the first two races to beat Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, as they stood on the second stair of the podium. In the last race in China, McLaren's Hamilton not only overtook Vettel’s RB7, but also managed to produce a gap of
almost six seconds in the final four laps.
Whitmarsh believes that improvement is required in the MP4-26. The Team Boss said, “We're under no illusions that we need to improve our qualifying and race pace if we are to remain a threat at the front. For this race, we'll be evaluating a number of small
modifications – which include some aerodynamic refinements to the bodywork – during Friday practice.”
The Englishman further added that the development process is well on course, to bring the Championship titles home. Talking about the last year’s performance, where McLaren were 1-2, Whitmarsh hoped that something close to that will be seen next weekend.
The Free Practice session of Turkish Grand Prix will begin in less than a week’s time and McLaren’s upgrades tests will be crucial for their pace in the Qualifiers and the race.
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