McLaren have said that they cannot afford to make any more errors as a team if they want to maintain their world championship challenge.
The team have suffered at least one mechanical failure per race at the last two events, with Lewis Hamilton’s wheel-rim problem in Barcelona (which cost him second) being followed by Jenson Button’s “someone left a bung in a hole” overheating in Monaco.
Managing director Jonathan Neale told reporters during a phone-in that they would soon be out of the running if they did not stop making mistakes.
“Formula 1 is not at all tolerant and nor should it be,” said Neale.
“We came out of China on a high and then we have dropped points in the last two races and when it is as tight as it is in the championship and there is only a small gap at the top of the drivers’ championship table and also the constructors’, it is all still to be played for.
“At the moment Red Bull has the upper hand but I am confident that won’t be the case by the middle of the season. When it is this close you just can’t afford to make those kind of mistakes – so we need to eliminate those from our game like everybody else does.”
He was also quick to point out that in-form speedsters Red Bull had also experienced mechanical letdowns early in the season.
“Red Bull I’m sure would say the same thing, if you look at the potential of that car and the points that they perhaps didn’t achieve, they may have their own frustrations.”
