McLaren’s Jonathan Neale blames media for Silverstone Grand Prix news – Formula 1 news
McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale has stated that all the news revolving the McLaren camp in the Silverstone Grand Prix of the 2011 Formula 1 season were fired up by media due to the high expectations from the British team on their home track.
Neale added that McLaren’s performance until the Silverstone race was satisfactory as it was the only team besides Red Bull to win races in the 2011 Formula 1 season. He stated that as soon as the McLaren team lost some ground to Red Bull and Ferrari in
the Silverstone race, the criticism ignited which is common these days.
Neale commented, “I think it’s just part of the media circus and expectation at a home Grand Prix. If you don’t deliver - and we didn’t - then you expect to get a bit of comeback on that. We just look at it internally, smile and move on. I don’t take it
very seriously.”
Neale added that there was no tension whatsoever between Red Bull and McLaren and both teams are still fighting hard on the track. However, he said there were some speculations between all the teams about the blown diffuser case but the media picked the
two top teams to target.
“As for the niggle or tension between us and Red Bull then just remember that we are ready to knock bells out of each other on the circuit. There was a reasonable amount of tension over regulations at all the teams over the last Grand Prix,” added Neale.
He further added that the Formula 1 teams were too slow to react to the blown diffuser saga and waited until the Silverstone Qualifiers which was too late for any decision to be made.
Renault-powered team Red Bull argued about the blown diffuser ban just in the nick of time before the Silverstone Grand Prix after which there was a slight animosity between Christian Horner and Martin Whitmarsh.
However, Neale has cleared the air between both teams and the diffuser is back in the 2011 season until the end.
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