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MIGHTY McLaren is motoring ahead this season sitting proudly on top of the constructors’ league table with ace drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in first and second place respectively in the drivers’ pecking order.
Although it’s early days, the British F1 outfit partly-owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, is brimming with confidence and cannot wait for this coming weekend’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Martin Whitmarsh, team principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, said: 'We’ve had three Grand Prix races so far this year, and they’ve been won by three different drivers from three different teams. The performance differential between the fastest cars is minimal. It looks like we’ve got a great season ahead of us, doesn’t it? Bring it on!'
So far this season Button has won in Australia, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in Malaysia and last weekend Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg recorded his first F1 victory ever in China.
Whitmarsh congratulated Rosberg and Mercedes for their pole-to-flag victory but the result, with Button coming in second and Hamilton securing his third consecutive third place finish, was another fine McLaren team performance.
'It was a tough race, but our strategy resulted in both our drivers getting onto the podium. Accordingly, we extended our lead in the constructors’ world championship, whilst Lewis and Jenson now lie first and second in the drivers’ championship,' he added.
Button, who started in fifth, said: 'Congratulations to Nico – he drove a faultless race. But who knows what we could have achieved if we’d had a clear run at him in the final stint?
'Our pace was very good and the aim was to come out ahead of that following pack of cars – which we would have done if we hadn’t lost time in the pit stop – and chase him down and put him under pressure.
'The delay in the final stop was just one of those things though – all the other stops had been very strong, but that one in particular wasn’t. The delay pushed me back into the traffic, which was a little bit of a shock, but the pace and consistency are there in the car and I was able to get back into second position, after a good battle and a satisfying pass on Sebastian Vettel.
'It’s very important to be consistent, and it’s nice to be back on the podium, but there are just a couple of little things we need to improve upon to make life even better for ourselves.'
Hamilton was pushed back into seventh place at the start after being slapped with a five-place grid penalty for a change of gearbox and needed all his guile and bravery to accelerate to another podium finish.
He was pleased with his performance in Shanghai. 'I had a great race! And, although neither Jenson nor I was able to win, I’m really happy that Nico took his first win, but I’m also really pleased for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team – both Jenson and I were able to get back on the podium and score some more good points,' he said.
'It was a tough race, though: I’d love to have been able to challenge Nico, and I think maybe I’d have been able to if I’d started on the front row, but we still managed to move forward. From the start I had a lot of fun overtaking people too. I reckon I got everything out of the car that I possibly could.
'It’s also a major positive to know that we’ve got a very consistent car. We just have to make sure we keep moving forward, that’s all. Mercedes AMG, Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus and Sauber are all up there – that’s a serious championship and it’s going to make for great racing for the fans to watch.
'It’s been a while since I was at the top of the drivers’ world championship – but we’ve got to remain focused.
'I think if I just continue to work as I am then the wins will surely come, and I’ll keep pushing for some better results.'
There would be no better place to start winning races than the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) – which Hamilton once labelled as the best Formula One track in the world.
As reported in GulfWeekly, he said: 'I love the Bahrain circuit, it is among the ones I really look forward to, like Monaco and Spa.
'It is not so much for the track itself, but because of the facilities; the way the place is organised; the people. It is just such a great trip. It is one of the few places you go to without stress or hassle and you just feel so relaxed there.'
He highlighted the friendliness of the hotel staff and the fans at the track adding: 'They are all just generally really nice people and the organisation at the track is by far the best probably out of all the Grand Prix circuits.'
The feeling is mutual. Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, chief executive officer of the BIC, said: 'I’d like to congratulate Hamilton and Button and we are lucky that our ‘home team’ is leading the championship.'
Zayed Al Zayani, chairman of the BIC, said: 'It’s perfect timing to get there just before the Bahrain GP. I watched the race in the McLaren team building and it was a truly nice atmosphere.'
Mahmood Hashem Al Kooheji, CEO Mumtalakat, added: 'As shareholders in McLaren, Mumtalakat avidly follows the team throughout the F1 season. Ahead of their return to Sakhir circuit, it is a pleasure to see the McLaren drivers holding the top two spots in the drivers’ championship and the team leading the constructors’ championship.
'We are all looking forward to seeing them race in Bahrain this coming weekend. It is both a great sporting occasion and of economic benefit to Bahrain.'
Nico emulates dad – Page 23; Turn to Pole Position inside, GulfWeekly’s eight-page comprehensive guide to the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2012
