McLaren
have won just one world title – Hamilton’s 2008 drivers’ championship – this
century and are now officially out of contention for either title this
season.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said on Tuesday that he did not believe
McLaren’s recent reliability problems were part of a wider issue, laying the
blame for Hamilton’s latest DNF at the door of engine partner Mercedes. “In
fairness to Mercedes, they have been very reliable,” Whitmarsh said. “But
these things happen in motor racing, they are not related or endemic.”
If Hamilton is to end his McLaren career with a 21st career victory he will
have to triumph at a track at which he has never won before. Formula One
visits Austin for the first time next week before the final race of the
season in Sao Paulo on Nov 25.
Hamilton said he would “love to be the first to win at Austin”, adding: “I
don’t think I’ve ever had a circuit where I’ve been able to put my name to
it as the first person to win. I’ve just never had the car to do it. Perhaps
I do now. Brazil I’ve never won there either. And again if the car drives
like it did [in Abu Dhabi] over there it would be absolutely phenomenal. It
would be an incredible way to go out.”