- 23 Aug 09, 15:18#145292As a McLaren fan, I'm pretty frustrated with the whole weekend. I think the team had the pace to win this weekend (though it wouldn't have been a cake walk: Barrichello was on form), but a few factors undid the team. First, I felt the team's error in qualifying yesterday would come back to haunt them. Hamilton's messed up second pitstop definitely lost the team a lot of time - more than the two seconds Whitmarsh claims. So, out of three opportunities for a win (Monaco, Hungary, and Europe), McLaren have only taken one. Missed opportunities is really the story of McLaren since 1997.
Another disappointment, though hardly a surprise, was Kovalainen's average performance. Okay, he was not the favourite to win the race, but he was not a match for Hamilton at all. Hamilton's shorter wheelbase does not excuse this, as Hamilton's car would only have been a tenth or two faster at the most; Kovalainen was consistently slower than Hamilton throughout the Grand Prix. Even without the qualifying and pitstop errors, I doubt Kovalainen would have come second. McLaren are correct to be looking elsewhere.
Still, as a Formula One fan, my disappointed is negated slightly by Barrichello finally winning a Grand Prix. He drove extremely well this weekend,is still a solid driver, is a nice guy, and has things have not come together for him this season.
Button, however, needs to get his act together again. This weekend has proven those who said he's lost his head correct. He had a very scruffy weekend, and his last couple of Grands Prix have not been up to his usual smooth standards either. He's very lucky Red Bull were all at sea this weekend, and that McLaren are getting better.
Williams had another solid weekend, but they are still struggling to make the next step and get Rosberg on the podium. Rosberg is driving very well at the moment. He's now my first choice for taking Kovalainen's seat at McLaren. I rate him higher than Kubica, who's a gurn anyway, and Vettel is still too green. Rosberg has the speed and experience to do well for McLaren, and he gets along with Hamilton as well.
Badoer is a complete loser, even taking into consideration his mitigating circumstances. I can't ever recall seeing such an embarrassing performance from any Ferrari driver. A team such as Ferrari should not have to go through indignities such as that.
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988,
1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998,
1999, 2007McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
- By darwin dali
