Exclusive Interview with McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh

With their car launch set for Friday and its on-track debut a week away, McLaren’s Woking factory will no doubt be a hive of activity as the British team complete last-minute preparations. Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh, however, has found time to answer some pressing questions about their 2010 campaign. Will they miss the input from BMW Sauber-bound tester Pedro de la Rosa? Will fellow world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button get along? Is the MP4-25 a winning car? Whitmarsh reveals all…

Q: How is progress going with the 2010 car? What are your plans for testing?

Martin Whitmarsh: Clearly, the absence of testing in January has eased the car-build schedule to a certain degree, but we’re still working as hard as ever at the McLaren Technology Centre. We’ll be launching the car at Vodafone’s UK headquarters in Newbury on January 29, and we’ll be running one MP4-25 at the first test at Valencia on February 1. Obviously, Pedro (de la Rosa)’s decision to sign with Sauber will have a slight impact on our test programme, but we’ll overcome it. We’re very happy that Pedro has got a race drive for 2010 - he’s been a great asset to our team and, above all, a very dear friend to all of us. As has become customary with most teams, the first tests will be about establishing a baseline of performance, allowing the engineers and mechanics to learn and understand the new car and the impact of the new regulations. And, as in previous years, we’ll introduce a series of upgrades at one of the later tests, and that will be the car we take to the opening race.

Q: What is the initial feedback from your data and simulation work about the performance of MP4-25?

MW: During the development of MP4-25, we set ourselves some very high targets - and I’m enormously pleased with the way our designers and engineers have tackled the approach to the new car. The new regulations have obviously had an effect on the car’s appearance, with the much higher-capacity fuel tank looking more striking than before. But we’re pleased with a number of solutions we’ve been able to bring to the car, and I think we’re cautiously optimistic that, after the experience of last year and, in particular, the momentum we gathered in the second half of the season, we’ll have a competitive car for both Jenson and Lewis. Is it a championship contender? It’s still far too early to say. Will it win races? We certainly hope so. Am I proud of the effort we’ve currently invested in the car? Most definitely.

Q: You have the previous two world champions on board. How easy will it be manage Hamilton and Button, and ensure that both work for the benefit of the team?

MW: I’m relatively relaxed about the driver partnership. Knowing Lewis as I do, and having got to know more of Jenson during the limited time I’ve spent with him during his busy visits to MTC (McLaren Technology Centre), I feel relatively confident that our driver line-up this year will be a very stable and mutually productive one. But neither became world champion simply by driving at the limit on the racetrack; they’ve each been responsible for moulding and developing an organisation around them, and in exploiting the skills of their respective engineers to the best of their abilities. And it’s that sort of approach that we’ll be looking to encourage from both drivers in order to give us a performance advantage. We’ve also got an extremely experienced and capable race team, and we feel that will play absolutely to our drivers’ strengths. Equally, they know that Formula One in 2010 will be more competitive than ever before. Collaboration, understanding and the shared development of the car will be at the forefront of everybody’s mind. And given the testing limitations and the minimal track time at the weekend, it’s the only way to get ahead. Both Jenson and Lewis fully understand that. That’s why I’m so thrilled with our driver partnership - I really think it will play to the strengths of modern Formula One. Of course, we wouldn’t be going racing if we couldn’t let our drivers ‘off the leash’, but our absolute priority is to develop a front-running car.

Q: The main regulation change this year is the banning of refuelling. What impact will this have on the racing? Will it be better, or will it result in more processional races?

MW: Inevitably, when you make a change, there are pros and cons. Regarding the pros, it arguably makes qualifying purer because the fastest car/driver combination will be setting the fastest times, and the public can understand that. Secondly, in the race itself, overtaking was often being planned and implemented to occur as a consequence of strategy, and therefore happening in the pit lane and not the circuit. In the absence of that effect, drivers will have a greater incentive to overtake. There have been occasions in the past where a driver hasn’t had that incentive because he knows he will be running longer and can get past the car ahead strategically through the pit stops. Additionally, the fact that drivers will qualify on low-fuel, and then the next time they drive the car in anger into the first corner will be after a standing start with cold tyres and cold brakes and 160 kg of fuel. That will be very challenging for them, not just in terms of getting round that first corner, but in terms of how they look after their tyres and how the balance of the car will alter as a consequence of that. And there will be drivers who are able to deal with those changes better than others. Those are all the positives. On the negative side, it’s possible that if all of the above is managed equally well by every driver, then we’ll have lost one of the strategic campaign interests that the more avid fans enjoyed in the sport. Hopefully the former points will outweigh the latter.

Source:Formula1.com

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Ferrari aim thrashing Michael Schumacher

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali says Michael Schumacher's return to Formula 1 has fired up the Italian outfit and new recruit Fernando Alonso.

Schumacher, who won five world titles with Ferrari, is returning in 2010 with Mercedes, who won both titles in 2009 under their former guise, Brawn.

But Domencali insists Ferrari have him in their sights, saying: "Michael's return is inner motivation to our team.

"Fernando is the only driver on track to defeat Michael and he wants to win."

Schumacher's renewed rivalry with Alonso, who beat him to the 2005 and 2006 championships when driving for Renault, is one of the most eagerly anticipated match-ups of the new season, alongside 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton's first competitive meeting with Schumacher.

Relationships between the seven-time world champion and Alonso soured during their championship battle in 2006.

One flashpoint was when Schumacher deliberately crashed his car at slow speed to stop the Spaniard snatching pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Schumacher has never admitted to deliberately blocking the track but he was found guilty by race stewards and put to the back of the grid.

It was Alonso's turn to be furious at the Italian Grand Prix later that year when he was demoted five places for allegedly holding up Schumacher's team-mate Felipe Massa in qualifying.

Alonso has now arrived at Ferrari as Massa's team-mate for 2010 and he donned the famous red kit for the first time this week at the team's annual winter sports event at Italian ski resort Madonna di Campiglio.

Domenicali is relishing the battles ahead between his new Ferrari line-up and former employee Schumacher.

"Michael's return is further stimulus within our set-up," added Domenicali. "It has also triggered new interest and that is good for racing.

"It is right not to forget that what has happened has left its mark but now we have to turn the page.

"We have to show Michael that this is a strong team. We want to win.

"Fernando and Felipe are able to beat him even if Michael is still very strong."

Schumacher, who spent 11 years with Ferrari, was primed to step in for Massa after the Brazilian was forced to spend the rest of the 2009 season on the sidelines after his crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

However, an aggravated neck injury quashed Schumacher's hopes and now Massa, recuperated after fracturing his skull, is ready to return to racing.

Domenicali welcomed the new partnership between Massa and Alonso, who has replaced F1 exile Kimi Raikkonen, and believes it signals a new era for the Italian marque.

"We have two Latin drivers and it's a gush of fresh air which brings a sparkling, new environment," stated Domenicali.

"Fernando and Felipe are one of the strongest pairings amongst the teams."

The Ferrari boss also downplayed concerns about the balance of power within the team.

Massa emerged as the de factor number one driver in 2008, when he went on to lose the title to Hamilton by a single point.

However, Alonso is known to prefer to be top dog and openly accused McLaren of favouring his team-mate Hamilton during his tumultuous 2007 season with the Woking-based team.

Domenicali will be charged with balancing the power between Massa and Alonso at Ferrari but he is adamant internal rivalry will not be an issue.

"The rules are clear here," added Domenicali. "The drivers appreciate that.

"It was the same with Felipe and Kimi - one was stronger one year and then the other in the next and respect develops.

"People try to generate competition within our team but we have to be more rational inside."

Ferrari's countdown to the 2010 season begins with the launch of their car on 28 January at their Maranello base.

The team stopped developing their 2009 challenger, which was off the pace at the start of the season, last summer to focus on 2010 but Domenicali remains cautious about making predictions before the car has hit the track.

"I believe the prospects are good," said Domenicali. "Despite last season, which was difficult for a lot of reasons, we have consolidated for the future.

"I don't think we'll see how competitive we will be by the first test in February but maybe by the last test.

"Winning immediately would be better but let's stay calm if it doesn't happen."

Source:news.bbc.co.uk

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