Zoom First and second a year ago into turn one at Silverstone

Following a disappointing showing at Istanbul Park where Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen finished 13th and 14th respectively, McLaren Mercedes head to Silverstone this week for their home Grand Prix.

The sweeping turn eight in Turkey highlighted the fundamental lack of grip the MP4-24 has compared to its rivals and Silverstone also features a number of high-speed turns, specifically the Maggotts-Becketts right-left turns heading onto the all-important Hanger Straight. With these corners critical to a good lap time, the Woking-based team face another tough Grand Prix this weekend. However, despite the prospect of a difficult race, Hamilton is looking forward to his home event.

“The two greatest things about racing at Silverstone are the fans and the track itself," said last year's race winner. "It’s great to see and meet people from all across the country and the world who have made the journey to Silverstone. When I’m in the car, I can actually see the fans around the circuit waving banners and cheering."

“Driving the track is incredible too," Hamilton continued. "I love Silverstone – it’s an amazing place to drive. Copse, Becketts and Bridge are all absolutely fantastic, flat-out corners that really show you the power and grip of a Formula One car. It’s a perfect place for the race, so let’s hope it’s not the last time we race at this track.”

Hamilton, who in his two Grand Prix at Silverstone has featured on the podium on both occasions, is unlikely to repeat the performance on Sunday warns Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice President Norbert Haug.

"We will not be in a position to win," Haug declared. "Since the beginning of this season we are in a catching up process. This is because we have not yet managed to get the best technical package out of the new rules in contrast to what we achieved with the old regulations in previous years when we built a winning car which we fought for the world championship with and won it."

“Nevertheless, everybody in the team is highly motivated to further reduce our gap to the top – particularly on fast circuits," he continued. "We are currently experiencing tough times, but this is not new for us: after a year without victories in 2006 we missed our target to win the title by one point in 2007 and then, a year after, we clinched the world championship with Lewis in 2008. We all work in a calm, focused and concentrated way to get our job done. And we will manage to do so – but certainly not overnight.”

While Hamilton has been able to notch up three points scoring results from the seven races, team-mate Heikki Kovalainen has recorded just one points finish, something the under-pressure Finn hopes to change this coming weekend.

"After a couple of disappointing races, it would be fantastic to get back into the points in one of the team’s home races," Kovalainen stated.

Earl ALEXANDER
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