McLaren mechanic 'devastated' by error

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says the mechanic responsible for Jenson Button's early exit from the Monaco Grand Prix is "devastated" by his mistake

Button's defence of his Monaco GP crown lasted barely two laps after the unnamed mechanic left a transport cap over his left radiator inlet at the start of the race and caused his engine to overheat.

"I think it's disappointing for everyone in the team, and devastating for the person responsible," Whitmarsh told Speedtv.com. "I know these things happen, but it's just hard to accept when it happens.

"Anyone who's involved with a team like this, when you're trying to do your best and you make a mistake and it contributes to something like that, it's devastating for them."

Whitmarsh admits Button never stood a chance once the airflow into his car was blocked.

"It was something that's used in transport or the garage," he said. "It's a cooling cover, a water one, and it was left in. So the car went to the grid with no air flow. So the car was cooked. You do what you can after, but you can't recover it. On a circuit like this, and with Safety Car as well, you really can't recover from that sort of thing.

"These cars don't have fans - they rely on airflow - so if you deny the airflow, you're not going to live very long. An F1 engine dissipates 200kW of heat energy, and if you don't take the measures to do something about that, then it's over very quickly, unfortunately. You don't know what's going to fail, but we knew we were over temperature, and there's not much you can do at that point.

"Obviously people are monitoring temperatures, and at a race like this it's particularly critical anyway. Other parts under the engine cover would have been very, very hot, and it was a secondary failure rather than a primary failure of the engine."

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