“His form will return. There is no reason why this time next week [in
Korea] we can’t be celebrating an epic win from Lewis – I hope we are.”
A number of theories for Hamilton’s current erratic form have been mooted.
Hamilton’s father and former manager, Anthony, spoke out against the
driver’s current advisors XIX Entertainment in Singapore a fortnight ago,
suggesting that his son lacked support at races.
With Button currently enjoying a purple patch of form, the difference in their
respective support structures – Button likes a close-knit team of people,
led by his father John, with him at all races – has been widely discussed.
Hamilton, though, insisted before Sunday’s race that he preferred to travel to
most grands prix alone and did not need anyone to “hold my hand”.
Whitmarsh believes the team can provide Hamilton with all the support he needs
and insisted that everyone at McLaren was behind a driver has been with them
since the age of 13.
Asked how much support a driver needs, Whitmarsh said: “You either have
to be incredibly strong, resilient and bloody-minded and not need anyone. Or
if you wear your heart on your sleeve you need help and support.
“Now I believe he has that in this team, but he has to find some of
things from himself as well. 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. It
can change, and it can change in one week. We could be jumping up and down
and celebrating his win, or it could happen in three or five weeks’ time.
“He just has to keep his head. He is still a naturally very gifted
incredible racing driver and it will come good, I’m quite sure of that.”
Asked whether Button’s strong form – the 31 year-old finds himself 32 points
ahead with four races remaining and threatens to become the first of
Hamilton’s team mates to beat him over the course of a year – was a
contributory factor to Hamilton’s current woes, Whitmarsh admitted it was
possible.
“Jenson is proving to be a formidable team-mate,” he 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.
“I’m a lousy statistician, but it was about 110 races before Jenson won a
grand prix. Comparatively with Lewis, he hadn’t even won a race.
“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. He is dealing with that, and I am
sure he will. He is a tough little fighter.
“I’m sure he’s going to come good very, very soon.”