In Barcelona last month, at a similar high-speed circuit, Hamilton went
backwards through the field on disintegrating rubber.
“On one lap the car is still quick, so qualifying should be OK,” said
Hamilton, who was fifth fastest yesterday. “But the question mark is our
race speed. We practised the race speed today and it felt decent.
But it could be a completely different picture tomorrow as the weather should
be a lot warmer, so we do not know where we are right now compared to the
others.”
At least Hamilton has a chance of competing for the win. His erstwhile team
mate at McLaren, Jenson Button, who has never been on the podium in 13
attempts at his home Grand Prix, has already written off his own chances.
“Its not going to happen,” the 2009 world champion told us forlornly this
week. “We are not going to be on the podium. If we do it would be a miracle.”
More worrying even than McLaren’s desperate form is the possibility that it
could be part of a much deeper malaise. Button has been publicly supportive
of his team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, as you would expect from a seasoned
professional, but he must be looking covetously at that vacant seat at Red
Bull for 2014.
Whitmarsh, still without a championship since taking over from Ron Dennis for
2009, has seen both his fastest driver, Hamilton, and his most senior
engineer, Paddy Lowe, defect to Mercedes this year, and there is growing
speculation that he and Dennis are at loggerheads.
One thing is for sure, if Ross Brawn does leave Mercedes at the end of the
season, as has been rumoured, McLaren could do worse than offer him an
immediate route back into the sport. It speaks volumes for the Woking team’s
form that Paul di Resta, in a Force India, has genuine hopes of finishing
top Brit here this weekend.
The lack of British success so far this season was cited as a major reason
behind sluggish ticket sales in the build-up to this event, but organisers
yesterday were sounding far more chipper, predicting more than 300,000 fans
over the course of the weekend, which would make it the third largest
turnout for a British Grand Prix ever. They are expecting 110,000 tomorrow
alone, 27,000 down on last year but not bad considering this year’s race is
up against Wimbledon and Glastonbury.
Managing director Richard Phillips said the weekend would turn a profit, as it
did last year, which is an achievement considering it is the only race in
the world which is not subsidised in any way, shape or form. “I have to say
the British fans are wonderful,” Phillips said. “A breed on their own. Sales
of the most expensive seats [£400 for 3 days] are actually up by 15 per
cent. It is going very well.”
Phillips was less complimentary about the lack of running during the morning
session as teams opted to save their wet weather tyres for a rainy race day.
“It’s time for a rule change,” he argued. “We need to make the teams put on a
display. You’re not going to build a fanbase around the world like this.
They should get a better deal for Friday.” Lotus team principal, Eric
Boullier, did not seem overly bothered. “It’s the same if it’s raining at
Wimbledon,” he said. “They stop playing. We try to do our best to engage
with the fans.”
Boullier sounded rather more concerned about losing his lead driver to Red
Bull next year. “It’s going to be his decision obviously,” the Frenchman
said of Kimi Raikkonen’s future. “Kimi will decide what is best for him.”
Sitting just ahead of him, Boullier’s Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner
looked like a man holding a royal flush. “At the end of the day any driver
would want the best car he can possibly be in – and Kimi is no different in
that respect,” he said.