Turkish Delights: McLaren vs. McLaren
by Jack Lamure on May 8th, 2011The on-track battle between the McLaren drivers in today's Turkish Grand Prix has to rank among the highlights of the race. Given the stakes and the massive profile the team are blessed/cursed with such wheel-to-wheel combat seems a massive risk - and yet McLaren allow their drivers to contest positions as if they were rivals from different teams. Good on 'em!
The action mainly took place during the first stint. Hamilton dropped behind Button after a failed overtaking attempt on Mark Webber on the first lap of the race, falling from fourth to sixth. That led to a mighty battle between the pair, with passing and re-passing between the two world champions.
After a few laps Hamilton got past before Jenson fought back down the straight, the younger driver eventually nailing his team-mate in to turn one. Then Jenson got a run on Lewis down the pit straight and re-took the position, a crucial psychological fillip for the 2009 world champ.
Photos: Octane Photos
But Jenson's three stop strategy would eventually cost him, and as he ran around on increasingly wrecked tyres Lewis was able to catch and easily pass him, allowing him to eventually finish fourth to JB's sixth.
The most striking thing was watching two cars from the same team fighting so closely, seemingly without any instruction from the pitwall beside 'please, please don't take each other out.' And they didn't - much to their credit. Jenson in particular looks like he'd rather throw it in to the scenery than make contact with another car.
For an example of how team-mates see the Renault team - Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld got far too close during the grand prix, banging wheels and waving their arms at each other in frustration. Who was to blame - it doesn't really matter, it should simply never happen. But when it does we do find it particularly entertaining - see our 'Top-Five Team-Mate Clashes' for evidence of that.
Comments and Discussion
[...] and Button undone by strategic errorsTimes of IndiaTurkey – McLaren Sunday quotesThe F1 TimesTurkish Delights: McLaren vs. McLarenBadger GPESPN F1 -Planet F-1.com -Mirror.co.ukall 239 news [...]
[...] 8th May 2011F1.co.ukHamilton and Button undone by strategic errorsTimes of IndiaESPN F1 -Badger GP -crash.netall 272 news [...]
damn right mclaren is the only team in formula one that as a fan, It never even crosses my mind that they may employ team orders. With any other team there is at least the possibility.
It's exciting stuff to see the Mclaren drivers duke it out. But, does anyone else believe that the driver pairing has brought out the best in Jenson?
Lewis is faster. He is a balls out racer and can wring a car for all its worth, but this style chews tyres, leads to more offs and more bumps. Jenson seems to 'feel' the car, drives smooth saving tires and mechanics, rarely falls off the road and even more rarely shunts it. Both World Champions, they seem to like each other and try not to hit each other - were it not for this fact, the comparisons between Senna and Prost would be far louder.
Great racing, McLaren. Will do your brand no harm whatsoever.