McLaren intent on late-season wins
Hamilton, Button aim to up their performance.
NEW DEHLI:
McLaren Sporting director Sam Michael is adamant that his team will not throw in the towel in this season’s Formula One title battle, saying they are targeting wins in the final four races of the season.
Red Bull top the drivers’ and constructors’ championships after three successive victories for two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel. But Michael, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi, said McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button would fight until the bitter end despite a disappointing few weeks for the team.
“We’re going to push to the end,” said Michael. “Our target at McLaren is to win every race, and we’ll do our best. Red Bull took quite a big step across Singapore and Suzuka [Japanese Grand Prix], so they will be tough competitors, but our target is still to beat them.”
Before the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton was second in the drivers’ title race and McLaren were the nearest rivals to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. But after Vettel’s three straight wins in Singapore, Japan and South Korea, Hamilton is fourth in the drivers’ standings on 153 points, trailing Germany’s Vettel on 215 points.
Unwell Perez might miss Indian GP practice
Sauber’s Sergio Perez cancelled his Indian Grand Prix media commitments due to illness with doubts about his fitness for today’s practice.
Sauber said Perez had a cold and a decision would be made today with Mexican reserve Esteban Gutierrez, who has been tipped to move up to a race seat with the Formula One team next year, available as a stand-in.
The Swiss-based team have had four podiums this year and are currently chasing Mercedes for fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2012.
McLaren Sporting director Sam Michael is adamant that his team will not throw in the towel in this season’s Formula One title battle, saying they are targeting wins in the final four races of the season.
Red Bull top the drivers’ and constructors’ championships after three successive victories for two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel. But Michael, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi, said McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button would fight until the bitter end despite a disappointing few weeks for the team.
“We’re going to push to the end,” said Michael. “Our target at McLaren is to win every race, and we’ll do our best. Red Bull took quite a big step across Singapore and Suzuka [Japanese Grand Prix], so they will be tough competitors, but our target is still to beat them.”
Before the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton was second in the drivers’ title race and McLaren were the nearest rivals to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. But after Vettel’s three straight wins in Singapore, Japan and South Korea, Hamilton is fourth in the drivers’ standings on 153 points, trailing Germany’s Vettel on 215 points.
Unwell Perez might miss Indian GP practice
Sauber’s Sergio Perez cancelled his Indian Grand Prix media commitments due to illness with doubts about his fitness for today’s practice.
Sauber said Perez had a cold and a decision would be made today with Mexican reserve Esteban Gutierrez, who has been tipped to move up to a race seat with the Formula One team next year, available as a stand-in.
The Swiss-based team have had four podiums this year and are currently chasing Mercedes for fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2012.