Sign Kimi, McLaren boss advises Williams

Williams should sign Kimi Räikkönen for next season, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh said Friday in a ringing endorsement of his former driver

"Try and sign him," he told a post-practice news conference at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when asked what advice he would offer team founder Frank Williams about the 2007 world champion.

"We all know he's quick," he added. "I think people underestimate how intelligent he can be.

"I hope that he's hungry, I'm sure that he hasn't lost the capability to thrill us in Formula One. I think it would be fantastic for Formula One."

Räikkönen, who won his title with Ferrari, quit Formula One for rallying at the end of 2009 but remains hugely popular with the fans.

He has confirmed talks with Williams about a comeback while that team's shareholder Christian 'Toto' Wolff has said the Finn is one of several options as a possible replacement for Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.

Frank Williams, attending the same news conference, said it was "not clear exactly" who would be in his cars next year.

"I'm sure (Venezuelan) Pastor (Maldonado) will be in one car, Rubens maybe. We haven't really made up our minds what we want to do before we talk to Rubens," he added.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali agreed with Whitmarsh, while recognising that Williams needed no advice.

"I know Kimi very well, he's very talented and very strong and if he wants to come back then for sure he has something he wants to show to everyone about him and the fact that he was the last world champion with us," he said.

SCHUMACHER POSITIVE

Racetrack rivals agreed a Raikkonen comeback would also liven up the social scene.

"If Kimi decides to come back, I think the main difference for me will be that the parties after the races will be a little bit better," said Team Lotus's Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen.

Räikkönen, so often monosyllabic in his F1 news conferences, had an off-track reputation as a party animal.

Among other exploits, he once entered a powerboat race in a gorilla suit as 'James Hunt' and was photographed asleep on a bench with an inflatable dolphin outside a Spanish nightclub.

"I had a few drinks and danced. Why not?" Räikkönen was quoted as saying afterwards.

Michael Schumacher, the seven-times world champion whose place at Ferrari was taken by the Finn at the end of 2006, enjoyed some memorable post-season parties with Räikkönen.

The German, who made his own comeback last year after three years out, was reluctant to offer any advice but could see potential for entertainment.

"I would be very happy to see him back. We have had some very good times and I look forward for some on track and off track occasions -- it will be good," he said.

Getting back into the groove after a couple of years away might not be too difficult either.

"In the end, you think how much can you recall your potential. How much can you drive the car to its limit. That is the main concern that was answered right away at the first test," said the 42-year-old Schumacher of his own case.

"It took me probably 15 laps to sort of get back and drive the car, not at its full limit but close and from then on it is just a matter of time. I am pretty sure with Kimi he is capable of doing so."

Source: Reuters Sports

'Criticism of Lewis has snowballed'

Martin Whitmarsh believes Lewis Hamilton has come in for some unfair criticism with one person slating him and the rest jumping on the bandwagon

Following his error-strewn Monaco and Canadian GPs, Hamilton copped flak from all quarters.

Felipe Massa, who he hit in Monaco, stated that the FIA "need to think about something for him, or he will not learn" a lesson while triple World Champ Niki Lauda stated that the McLaren driver is "completely mad" and that what he does "goes beyond all boundaries".

And they were not the only F1 personalities to hit out at the 26-year-old as the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi and Sir Stirling Moss also added their two cents on the issue.

Whitmarsh, though, reckons the criticism has been largely unfair, although he believes a race win or two will go a long way towards restoring his driver's reputation.

"Let's work backwards. I have known Lewis since he was 11. He is a phenomenal driver and a massively competitive individual," he told the official F1 website.

"He is pretty hard on himself when he makes mistakes and very passionate about everything - not just his driving style. He definitely doesn't like being beaten so it's been a very tough season so far.

"He's been frustrated not being up there all the time and frankly some of it was simply down to misfortune. Inevitably the media have got on his back- he's too aggressive, he's too much of this and that, and then you have Niki Lauda and other people coming up with opinions and once that starts it's like a snowball.

"I know that Lewis is strong and capable enough to drive through that, to stay focused, develop the car, win races and then people will forget, because there is nothing like winning races."

The McLaren team boss also reckons it's unfair to compare Hamilton's temperament to that of his team-mate Jenson Button's, who is at times criticised for not having the killer instinct.

"We must not forget that Jenson is older, has more experience and has experienced very tough times, so I think that his career has made him very rounded," he said.

"Some people even say that he is too relaxed, but he demonstrated in Canada that he is there, he is determined and he wants to win desperately.

"Lewis's career has developed significantly differently. He broke into Formula One in 2007 and he was on the podium for his first nine races, which will probably never be equalled.

"He could have won the Championship in his first year; he did win it in his second year; and could have won in the third year. So he has never really experienced such a situation as he is in now.

"But he is smart and he will learn. He knows that he's made some mistakes, but he is under massive scrutiny.

"And when you are under such a level of scrutiny and you get out of the car and are hot and frustrated, and let me be frank, some parts of the media are very sympathetic and understanding, but other media, when they see such vulnerability they want to come in and challenge it. They want to prompt and elicit a passionate response, which is good for headlines but not always good for Lewis.

"He is learning that sometimes he is better off holding back, biting his lip and not saying what he thinks. We know how it goes.

"You have one interview and you stay calm, then comes the second and third and your emotions are riding higher and higher and eventually you say something that you regret. That is what happened to Lewis this year."

Source: Planet-F1

FIA: Diffuser row has been resolved

The FIA is confident there will be no aftermath following an end to the technical row that overshadowed the British Grand Prix

The introduction of a ban on off-throttle blown diffusers sparked a spat between Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and McLaren counterpart Martin Whitmarsh at Silverstone as they argued over its intricacies.

It resulted in two extraordinary meetings of the Technical Working Group (TWG) over the weekend in a bid to reach a resolution for the rest of the season.

Motor sport's world governing body has now officially confirmed a return to the measures applied for the European Grand Prix in Valencia just over a fortnight ago.

For that race a ban on engine mapping - where an engine is tweaked via an electronic control unit between qualifying and the race with regard to performance - came into force.

But given the difficulties in finding a fair and equitable solution in relation to the diffusers, teams can carry on as they were prior to the British GP.

The FIA has admitted "the matter was more complex than initially thought".

In a Q&A on their website, the FIA confirm representations from Renault Sport, who supply engines to three teams including Red Bull, initially stirred the pot.

It was only following the TWG meetings that consensus was reached, with the teams agreeing to run for the rest of the season as they did in Valencia.

The FIA added: "This was felt to be the most sensible solution to a very complicated matter as the possibility of finding an alternative solution, which would be fair to all engine manufacturers, was becoming increasingly unlikely."

Confirming the matter now been settled, the FIA said: "All cars will run under 'Valencia' conditions for the remainder of the season.

"We are optimistic there will be no protests over any engine mapping and exhaust tailpipe issues this season.

"It was also agreed no team would raise a protest against another on these matters for the rest of the season."

Source: Planet-F1

McLaren boss comments on rumors about Hamilton, Button!

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh won't have any of the rumors suggesting that his current drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button might be seeking greener pastures at other teams. Whitmarsh believes both of the drivers are happy at McLaren.

- As a general statement we've got two great drivers in the team and I think they enjoy being in this team. They both want to win and I think we've seen them racing each other and other cars to prove that. We'll talk about the future with them when the time comes, but at the moment we're not planning on a different driver line-up, Whitmarsh insists on ESPNf1.

- I think ultimately Lewis will decide where he's going, but I think he enjoys being in this team. Lewis as a top driver will be linked to any team that the media think can afford him or satisfy his expectations. I don't pay too much attention to what's written in the media, in my experience it hasn't been a good guide to what is really happening in driver negotiations.

Recently Lewis Hamilton has been linked to Red Bull, as he allegedly had a chat with Red Bull's team principal during the Canadian GP in Montréal.

Source: RacingNewsFlash

Whitmarsh: "People do not realize how smart is Kimi"

Martin Whitmarsh maintains Kimi Raikkonen for extremely underestimated and explains how close this really the year at McLaren comeback by scraping

Kimi Räikkönen had in Formula 1 is always a reputation as a thoroughbred racer. For legend Stirling Moss was the Finn even the fastest man in the premier class. But there are critics who have long-standing McLaren drivers hold for simple and it has no technical skills let alone the potential to be a team to lead attest.

Wrongly, as McLaren team boss and Räikkönen connoisseur Martin Whitmarsh over says 'Motor Sport': "I'm Kimi fan and have it never made a secret I think it is a underrated drivers - underrated in the sense that everyone knows. how incredibly fast it is, but I think people do not realize is how smart he and how good the technical feedback, is that he can deliver a team. "

The Briton believes that Räikkönen in F1 has not fully exploited its potential: "He has a World Cup win, but I think he would have achieved more. " Whitmarsh makes no secret of the fact that he protege in the previous year to McLaren retrieve wanted many years his: "There was the year before serious negotiations, which were opened by me always. I got it I received and was very much interested I am. Personally agree with Kimi well-come and it would have been an interesting challenge to get him back. "

But what the big comeback with McLaren failed? "Our negotiations were very advanced," said Whitmarsh. "Ultimately he has not come back because I suddenly realized that Jenson could be available. I have made him an offer and Jenson has accepted this challenge, surprisingly. I am very happy about it."

Source: Motorsport-total
Courtesy: luieluv

Abu Dhabi GP 2010: Martin Whitmarsh and Christian Horner Interview

Source: bokuwahmz

McLaren ‘supporting Button fully’ in Brazil

McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh has vowed to continue supporting Jenson Button for a second World Championship title, despite the current holder all but admitting that his chances of retaining the crown are now over after Korea.

Following his non-scoring race at Yeongam, Button lies 42 points behind championship leader Fernando Alonso with a maximum of 50 remaining on the table; this means that that third place or lower at Interlagos next weekend would confirm that Formula 1’s Champion has failed to retain his crown for the fourth year running.

“He has vowed to fight on and we will be supporting him fully next weekend,” Whitmarsh is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “Jenson knows you can't lift the title without being a resolute fighter.

“That's exactly why we hired him; he’s a great driver and we will be supporting him fully next weekend.”

Source: GP Update

Button will help Hamilton voluntarily - Whitmarsh .

As the Yeongam paddock emptied on Sunday night, the only talking point was the title contending teams' driver strategies for the now two-race run to the championship crown.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said it is a "no brainer" that Jenson Button should now back his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, whilst announcing that Sebastian Vettel still has a green light to push for the title.

"For us, the strategy is clear," McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. "We don't really have to say anything to our drivers. "Jenson will offer his help to Hamilton voluntarily, because he knows that we have treated him fairly throughout the year. And because he knows that he will win now only with a miracle," added the Briton.

Red Bull's Mark Webber and Vettel are separated by a smaller points margin, but Whitmarsh said "logic dictates that all the eggs are now put in the Webber basket". "But this team's heart beats for Vettel," he insisted. "There has been so much unrest that I am not expecting a clear statement from them."

Source: F1 Complete

Button was a 'sacrificial lamb' - Horner

Red Bull suspects McLaren was trying to use Jenson Button as a "sacrificial lamb" at the Japanese Grand Prix to boost Lewis Hamilton's chances, until a gearbox problem put a halt to the strategy.

Button started the race on hard tyres, allowing him to run longer than his rivals and take the lead of the race, ahead of the Red Bulls, midway through the race. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Button's alternative strategy was a deliberate attempt by McLaren to back the faster Red Bulls into Fernando Alonso and Hamilton behind, to give the second McLaren driver a chance to catch up.

"We were a bit concerned by Jenson's race strategy, as we knew we would come out behind him and then he started to back everybody up towards Hamilton," Horner told the Daily Telegraph. "It was sort of like being in a McLaren sandwich. But then it looked like Hamilton developed a problem and they aborted that strategy for Jenson. It looked a little bit like he was a sacrificial lamb. I don't know. It just seemed strange."

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh admitted that it was possible to use Button as a blocker, but insisted the strategy was optimised to give Button the best possible opportunity to make up time when he changed to the softer tyre.

"Yes there was [the possibility to do that]," Whitmarsh said. "But at that point we also had to consider Jenson. We wanted to give him enough time on the option tyre, to have a go. If we had left him out there longer... it is not how we play our game. Maybe others would but that is not how we go motor racing."

He added: "Ultimately, that strategy didn't come off as best we'd have liked because the others' option tyres didn't fall away as quickly as we'd anticipated. Still, we feel it was a strategic choice worth taking. After switching to options, Jenson showed excellent pace, and I think we had the second fastest car today."

Source: ESPNF1

McLaren keen to approach Vettel at end of contract

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has revealed he attempted to poach Sebastian Vettel in 2008 and that the Red Bull driver is still on his team's radar.

Whitmarsh was highly critical of Vettel at the Belgian Grand Prix, describing him as a "crash kid" after punting Jenson Button out of the race.

"Under pressure this year, Sebastian is making just too many mistakes," Whitmarsh told Sport Bild. "Also his collision with Mark Webber in Turkey, for me, was 95% his fault."

But when looking around for a replacement for Fernando Alonso at the end of 2007, McLaren offered then Toro Rosso rookie Vettel a deal that was vetoed by contract holders Red Bull.

"I am open and honest enough to admit it," Whitmarsh confirmed. "Sebastian is one of the great and promising talents, and we at McLaren wanted to have him. We were not able to sign him at that time."

Vettel is now signed up with Red Bull Racing until 2012.

"If he continues to develop so fantastically, then at the end of his contract I will try once again to get him," revealed Whitmarsh.

Source: ESPNF1

Whitmarsh: What's with the cuddling?

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh admits he "a little bit surprised" that the Red Bull pit wall "cuddled" Sebastian Vettel following his exit from the Turkish Grand Prix.

Red Bull gifted McLaren a 1-2 finish at Istanbul Park when Vettel collided with his team-mate Mark Webber on lap 41. Vettel was later seen hugging each member on the pit wall, including team boss Christian Horner.

Whitmarsh says if it was one of his drivers he'd be fuming instead of giving them cuddles.

"I think what you've got to say is, if you've got a 1-2 in prospect, you can't jeopardise it by colliding on the track - it's not acceptable for drivers to take themselves out," he told BBC.

"I confess I was a little bit surprised by the extent they were cuddling Sebastian during the race, I don't think I would have been cuddling Sebastian.

"I don't know if they're happy with what happened in their race but I'm happy with what happened in ours."

Source: Planet F1

Button: We all made mistakes

Jenson Button is refusing to hand blame to the unnamed mechanic who left a transport cap over his left radiator intake at the start of the Monaco GP.

Button's grand prix came to an end on the second lap of the race after the cap caused his engine to overheat, pretty much cooking it. His retirement from the Monaco GP saw him drop from the very top of the Drivers' standings down to fourth place.

But despite the blow, the reigning World Champ has taken a pragmatic attitude, conceding that yes mistakes were made, everyone makes them at times.

"I am sure the guy involved is gutted and I feel sorry for him," Button told The Times.

"We all make mistakes and we just have to make sure we don't do that again. As soon as I saw the flames and fire from the back of the car, I knew we weren't going any farther.

"It is a human error and I am not going to blame anyone because we all make mistakes."

And it just so happens that Button wouldn't have a leg to stand on if he did start throwing the blame around after he made a mistake in qualifying.

The Brit, who could only manage eighth place on the Monte Carlo grid, drove off with the television remote control still in his cockpit.

"That was my fault. I hung on to it. At Rascasse there is a little opening in the fence and I threw it through there. It still works!" he told the Mirror.

And although one can only assume that Martin Whitmarsh was left fuming, the McLaren team boss still managed to bite his tongue.

It is disappointing to everyone in the team and devastating to the person responsible.

"I know these things happen but it is just hard to accept when it does. Inevitably he is devastated. The car went to the grid with no airflow so it was cooked.

"You do what you can but you cannot recover from that. These cars don't have fans, they rely on airflow so if you deny that you are not going to survive very long. We will sit down and talk about it."

Source: Planet F1

Whitmarsh unhappy with Massa's stewards escape

Martin Whitmarsh sounded unimpressed with the stewards' decision not to penalise Felipe Massa after qualifying for the Monaco grand prix.

McLaren driver Button was unhappy with the Brazilian for blocking him towards the end of a flying lap in Q3.

"On top of that the next timed lap was destroyed as well, because I had a bad run onto the pit straight," said the Briton, who qualified.

It had been expected that the stewards would penalise Massa, but the Ferrari driver insisted: "I didn't hold up Jenson. We were in the last corner and there was a car in front of me."

McLaren team boss Whitmarsh confirmed that the stewards decided not to penalise Massa.

"The stewards decided Massa did his best to get out of Jenson's way," he is quoted by the Daily Mail. "On this occasion, his best wasn't good enough."

Source: F1 Complete

Whitmarsh: I'm a big fan of Kimi

Question: "How realistic was a return of Kimi Räikkönen?"
Martin Whitmarsh: "I honestly admit that I am a big fan of Kimi. It was close, but it did not work. We've tried it, because together with Kimi, we still have a score to settle. He is super fast, exciting. I like his honesty and his way, but he has this penchant for the rally sport and that could have influenced the decision. "

Source: Motorsport Total
Thanks: finnair @OF

Hamilton 'suggested Button as a teammate'

Lewis Hamilton has shed some new light on Jenson Button's surprise move to McLaren by claiming he was the one who urged the team to consider signing the current Formula One Champion


The Woking outfit's decision to team up two high-profile drivers raised quite a few eyebrows in light of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso's frosty partnership during the 2007 season.

Hamilton, though, is adamant that he welcomed Button with open arms and he took things even further during the launch of the new MP4-25 by claiming he suggested to team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

"Something you won't know is that I actually called Martin and said 'What about Jenson?', which was before they had negotiations," said Hamilton.

"At the time I was calling them and asking them, 'What's going on? I keep reading all these different stories about different drivers. What's happening?'

"Fortunately I would be told who they were talking to, but I had absolutely no input into who they would pick.

"So I would say, 'Have you spoken to this person? Have you spoken to Jenson?'.

"And why Jenson? Because he is the best driver there is, and they wanted to get the best driver possible. I just wanted to find out because people kept asking me as to who was going to be my team-mate.

"I was happy with the team-mate I had, but it seemed like they were looking for someone else.

"I want the best team I can possibly have to score the points alongside me," replied Hamilton. "When he's winning I've got to be finishing second, and when I'm winning he's got to be finishing second.

"I need a team. I can't win the Constructors' Championship on my own, so I need to have as strong a team-mate as possible.

"You want someone to push you. I had Fernando (Alonso) pushing me in 2007, and at certain points in the year in 2008, I had Heikki pushing me.

"I've no doubts this year Jenson is going to be hard to beat. His results last year speak for themselves, so in coming here I'm sure he will do a solid job."

Confirming Hamilton was fully supportive of Button's appointment, Whitmarsh said: "As we evaluated the driver market, which we did over a number of weeks, Lewis was consistently positive about Jenson.

"As I think has been made clear, they have a high regard for each other and are already getting on well."

Button's camp has always maintained that he only started discussions with McLaren after negotiations with Brawn broke down at the end of the 2009 season. However, the 30-year-old admitted that he had "talks" with Hamilton before that.

"[Lewis and I] spoke a little bit in Brazil and Abu Dhabi," Button said, "but not about me coming here. I just asked him questions about McLaren. So we spoke a little bit, but he didn't know why I was asking the questions.

"I was just interested then - just being nosy really. I didn't think for one second before Brazil that I would be changing teams. I didn't think the option was there, not before I won the title. But obviously your mindset changes when you win something that you've worked so hard for. Then you look for other challenges."

Source: Planet F1