Martin Whitmarsh view of race

MARTIN WHITMARSH

Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Jenson drove a dazzlingly impressive race today – in fact I’d say without any doubt whatsoever that he was the man of the match.

“To start from P13, then to lose a front wing and drop back to P19, and then fight all the way back to P3 at the chequered flag, on the most challenging circuit in modern-day Formula 1... well, all I can say is that it was the kind of performance that marks out a true champion.

“In particular, to hunt down and pass Fernando [Alonso] like that… again, I thought that was very, very, very impressive.

“But for our unfortunate misunderstanding in qualifying yesterday [which resulted in a P13 grid slot], I feel sure that he would have been able to mount a truly formidable challenge for outright victory here this afternoon.

“As for Lewis, I thought he was extremely unlucky to be tapped from behind by Kamui – and, as we all saw all too clearly, the result was a pretty nasty shunt. Thankfully he climbed out unhurt, which is the main thing.

“It was hugely frustrating for us – of course it was – but that’s motor racing and all we can do now is draw a line under it and move on.

“Looking forward to the Santander Italian Grand Prix in two weeks’ time, then, we’re focusing on the positives. Our car and our drivers showed strong pace throughout this weekend, and we’ll be aiming to convert that speed into victory at Monza.

“As for the world championship(s), all we can do is focus all our efforts on trying to win as many of the remaining seven grands prix as we possibly can.

“As I often say, it’s still mathematically possible, which means it’s still possible.”

Jenson in the forest