Title between Ferrari and Redbull now:
I understand this was posted before though from a different source.
"I watched the [McLaren] out on track a week ago and it's a mess ... it didn't slow down. It didn't turn in. It couldn't get the power down."Driver-turned-commentator Martin Brundle with a depressing take on McLaren's unreadiness for the new seasonLewis Hamilton unhappy with new carLewis Hamilton has delivered a damning verdict on McLaren's car, stating it is not good enough to win the world title.
That is not to say Hamilton is throwing in the towel on his hopes of adding to the championship crown he won in 2008. Far from it.
But as it stands, the MP4-26 is clearly not up to scratch, as was proven to be the case on the second day of the final pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
Due to hydraulics and exhaust issues, Hamilton managed a miserly 57 laps on a day when he and the team were meant to complete a full race distance, only to fall woefully short.
With concerns rising over reliability and pace, Hamilton said: "I have every belief in my heart that I can win many, many more world championships.
"But do I believe I have a car to win the world championship at the moment? I don't.
"That doesn't mean it won't become a world championship winning car.
"There were improvements today, which is at least a positive. It's not all negative.
"So as long as we keep pushing in the right direction, and with the new things we have coming several races down the line, hopefully they will enable us to close the gap and compete for wins.
"As long as we pick up a good few points in the first few races, then we won't be miles behind.
"Say for example we were able to be in the top five for the first three or four races, get those points, and then if we happen to have a car capable of winning, then it would still be possible.
"So I'm definitely not shutting the year off. Everything is still to play for."
It would appear McLaren will simply be hanging onto the coat-tails of the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari in the first three fly-away races in Australia, Malaysia and China.
With McLaren already playing catch-up, at this stage there is every possibility another season could pass Hamilton by if McLaren fail to take the necessary strides fast enough.
Asked if he was disappointed to have won just one of four world championships he has so far competed in, and given the problems ahead this season, Hamilton added: "The years are going by quite quick, maybe because I'm enjoying it so much.
"We should have had the world championship in 2007, but we didn't.
"We should have definitely have been able to have continued from '08 and won another championship in the last two years, but we haven't.
"Looking at how the car has developed over the winter and seeing how it has come out, I was really, really excited getting into it thinking we really had hit the nail on the head.
"But we've missed that nail a little bit, although it's not like we don't have other opportunities to get it right.
"As an athlete, as a competitor, optimism is something you have to hold. You always have to have that.
"I'm never one to give up. I'm not going to sit here and say the championship is over blah, blah, blah.
"I'm ready, and when the car is ready I will be at the front and I will win races, but whether that will happen, we'll see."
Hamilton eventually finished fourth quickest of the 11 drivers that took to the track, and a second off the pace set by current world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Red Bull appear to be slowly turning the screw as Vettel's time of one minute 21.865secs was by far the quickest of the six test days so far held in Barcelona this pre-season.
Finally....some real honesty from McLaren camp. Ignoring all the bulls*it PR talk, McLaren are royally f**ked. At this stage in 2010 offseason, the drivers were already complimenting the car saying its a winner.
Go Redbull.

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