McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh urges team to improve qualifying pace: Formula One news
McLaren’s team principal Martin Whitmarsh has stressed that the team needs to be quicker in qualifying in order to match Red Bull. The reigning champions are currently placed at number one in the 2011 Formula One constructor’s championship with 105 points.
However, they have been given a tough competition by the Vodafone sponsored team, which is second with 85 points.
Whitmarsh told reporters, “I think race pace it is quite close, but I would like us to be ahead on both fronts. We have two really great drivers, a great team that has responded well to a very difficult start to the year, so I am very proud of them. But
there is a long championship ahead.”
He further added, “We will throw everything we can at it. We have loads of things that we are pushing on. But depending to what extent they deliver, to what extent they are compatible, and what bits we can get there. I won't truly know what we have until
the Friday morning in Turkey.”
Whitmarsh predicted that Ferrari and Mercedes would be stronger in the remaining part of the season, saying that both teams had the potential to turn things around very quickly. He claimed that Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber would be under
immense pressure, as they have been given a tough time by their rivals.
Although McLaren expects an improved performance from the reigning champions in the Turkish Grand Prix, Whitmarsh wants his team to be focused on their own progress.
Both McLaren drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, have performed with consistency in the first three races of the season, and will look to continue their good run of form. They have stopped the winning run of Vettel, but the young German has been able
to take three pole positions in as many races so far this season.
The current Formula One champion was phenomenal in the previous season as well, securing 10 pole positions out of 19 races. His team-mate Mark Webber was the second best in qualifying, as he took five poles. Overall, Red Bull were clearly ahead of their
rivals, and they threatened a similar kind of dominance in the 2011 season.
Other than McLaren, former constructor champions Ferrari have also admitted that their speed in the qualifiers has not been worthy of challenging Red Bull. The Maranello based squad was expected to be fighting for race victories this year, but things haven’t
quite worked out as planned. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have just managed to fight in the midfield and have been caught by Mercedes, who were quicker in the last race.
All the top teams will be bringing in some upgrades for the Turkish Grand Prix and will aim to gain an advantage over one another. However, it will interesting to see which team manages to challenge Red Bull in the qualifiers.
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