Was there something wrong with the tyres perhaps? Or maybe the set-up?
There had been a suggestion that the wing settings on his car had been changed
before the team knew he had a slow puncture, and this had then had a
knock-on effect later? “No, just not fast enough.”
Was it a mental thing? Did he need to refocus? “I don’t think I need to do any
refocusing. I drove as hard as I could. It wasn’t because I wasn’t thinking
during the race.” Perhaps, then, it was a case of ‘overdriving’; of trying
too hard?
Hamilton finally snapped, clearly exasperated. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I
think you are all trying to come up with solutions as to why I am not doing
well. There is no solution. There is no answer to it. I don’t know what the
answer is so I would appreciate it if you didn’t just jump to conclusions.
“I just wasn’t quick enough. I was quick in qualifying. I just wasn’t quick in
the race. The tyres would not last and later on in the race I struggled with
understeer. Even though they put wing in it still understeered so I
struggled to keep up with the pace of the guys in front.
“Sebastian [Vettel, who sealed the drivers’ championship] did fantastically
well and Jenson did fantastically well. I am massively happy for him and his
family and his girlfriend, they are like the nicest people.”
Of course, it only takes one great performance to turn things around and
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh is hopeful that may come as soon as
this weekend in Korea.
“There is no reason why this time next week we can’t be celebrating an epic
win from Lewis — I hope we are,” said Whitmarsh who insisted — in the face
of murmurings that Button is now the preferred driver — that his charge had
the full support of the whole team.
“At the moment Lewis has to keep calm, be disciplined. Everyone in this
situation needs someone, and I’ve just sat with him now, and there is no one
in this team that doesn’t believe in Lewis Hamilton.
“There is great affection and great support for him within this team.”
Whitmarsh did admit that Button’s form — the 31 year-old has outscored his
team-mate by 101 points to 44 points since Hungary and threatens to become
the first of Hamilton’s team mates to beat him over the course of a season —
may be a factor in Hamilton’s erratic form.
“Jenson is proving to be a formidable team-mate,” Whitmarsh said. “At the
point we signed Jenson everybody said he must be mad, he will get destroyed
by Lewis.
“But Jenson kept his head. He realised straightaway the natural talent and
speed of Lewis, but he kept his head and decided ’I’ll do what I do best’.
“Bear in mind he is five years ahead of Lewis in his professional development.
“We have these massive expectations, and Lewis has massive expectations on
very young shoulders.
“When you start and it’s very easy, then you have that pressure and
expectation. It takes some adjustment. Lewis is dealing with that, and I am
sure he will. He is a tough little fighter.”