Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula 1, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Nine races gone and nine to go: what's your evaluation of the team's progress at this halfway stage in the world championship?

"We're leading the drivers' championship with Lewis and are third in the constructors' championship. And while we remain encouraged by the pace we've recently shown and the victories we've achieved, there's a feeling that we could still be doing more to consistently score strongly. Several opportunities for victory, most notably in Istanbul and Montreal, have slipped through our fingers; we've suffered a few penalties - which we took squarely on the chin - and, through no fault of his own, Heikki has finished out of the points on several occasions, either due to us being unable to provide him with a suitable car or through circumstances that were largely beyond his control. So as we head into the second half of the season, our primary objective must be to work harder to iron out these imperfections, to provide our drivers with race-winning machinery at every opportunity and to sharpen our focus on the world titles - both of which are still achievable for us. I think Heikki's pole position and Lewis's win in the Santander British Grand Prix win were good for our momentum; the atmosphere back in Woking on Monday morning was incredibly upbeat and positive because we all know we're strongly back in the hunt for the world championship. And we're not going to easily let go of that."

Has it been difficult to get an accurate read on the team's overall competitiveness in the last few races?

"I know the fans would love to see a straight fight between ourselves and our rivals - but fate, and the weather, has conspired against that happening in the four most recent races in Monaco, Montreal, Magny-Cours and Silverstone - so we can still only estimate where we sit in terms of overall performance. But the reality is, we're keenly aware of the steps we've taken to improve the car and feel confident that we've currently got a fantastic race car that can be developed sufficiently for the rest of the season. We're confident we'll be competitive in Hockenheim next week, but one of the beauties of Formula 1 is that you just can't tell until the red lights go out on Sunday afternoon."

In which areas are you particularly satisfied with in-season development?

"While MP4-23 immediately kicked off the year in winning style, we were under no illusions that it would only be through continuous season-long development that we would remain competitive. Clearly, Ferrari has a very strong package and BMW Sauber remains a constant threat to both teams, but the upgrades we made prior to the French and British Grands Prix, particularly in the detail aerodynamic work, has given the car a considerable step-change and made it feel much better balanced for the drivers. Silverstone also saw the introduction of new fuel and lubricants from our partners at Mobil 1 and that has also made an incremental but useful improvement to engine performance. In Hockenheim this week, we evaluated a number of further aerodynamic improvements, some of which were plain to see, and it's rewarding to see just how far we've already pushed development of the 23. While we have already started looking in greater detail at our 2009 package, there are currently no plans to ease up on seasonal development of this year's car."

Я считаю, что Мартину надо год на установочный сезон. Не важно, что он еще при Сенне пришел, и при Мике стал одним из менеджеров. Ему надо дать время нормально почувствовать руль.

Но не в сезон таких перемен, Серега, ты чаво?! =)

Ну ты жжошь!=)

Пока 8 кубков и 9 титулов не соберет не герой теперь значит?

В любом случае кроме Мартина и Норба во главе команды поставить некого, кароч я за преемственность

тьфу нах!! изыди, добьешь меня! Доминикали который у нас в суде выиграл 2007-й со "спрутами" и пр?
=))

Браун освободился

а чо его сажали что ль ?

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has praised his team's response to its current 'crisis', as he remains optimistic that it can return to competitive form.

Lewis Hamilton's title defence has got off to a disappointing start, with McLaren's new MP4-24 suffering from a lack of downforce - and therefore unlikely to fight for wins for several races yet. Matters have not been helped in Australia this weekend with the Briton suffering a gearbox failure that has put him to the back of the grid.

And although its form means McLaren faces an uphill battle from the start to stay in championship contention, Whitmarsh says his team's reaction to the situation has been great.
"What I am happy with is the way the team has responded to the crisis," he said. "I think at a time like now, it's very easy within the team, the drivers, the engineers, the partners, to fall into recrimination and blame of one another.
"The fact is the team has stuck together, worked very hard and urgently to try and fix the issues, and we've been adding downforce quickly. But we need to do so in the future."

Whitmarsh believes his team has made steps forward with its car's performance in recent weeks, and expects that it will steadily make progress up the field in the next few events.
"We've been open and frank from several weeks ago that our car is under-developed," he said. "We have made good progress in the last two weeks, and we know we will be improving it significantly in each of the coming races.
"Our competitors won't stand still, but hopefully we can gain on them in the next few races, and I'm confident that during the course of this year we will be competitive.

"Will we be competitive in as quick a time as I would like? No, because I'd like to be competitive as of tomorrow. But we have to deal with the reality of the situation.
"We put massive effort into last year to secure a world championship. In Brazil that felt like the right decision. Sat here today, you can have some regrets, but I think on balance we did what we had to do.
"We did a lot of work on last year's car, but perhaps we were not as adventurous in our interpretation as some of our competitors, but we have to accept the circumstance and work on."

Ветеран McLaren Дэйв Райан может покинуть команду. Вероятно, именно на него была возложена ответственность за дисквалификацию Льюиса Гамильтона в Австралии.

Сегодня 54-летний новозеландец покинул Сепанг с упакованными чемоданами – это породило слухи о его отставке. Именно его и Льюиса Гамильтона FIA вчера обвинила во лжи. В британской команде Райан занимает должность спортивного директора.

В McLaren новозеландец провел 34 года. В 1974 он стал механиком команды. Он успел поработать с Патриком Тамбэ и Йохеном Массом. После слияния команды с проектом Project 4 Рона Денниса Райан стал главным механиком. Во времена McLaren-TAG он оставался на этой должности, в 1990 был назначен тим-менеджером команды.

Ранее сообщалось, что Райан – отстранен.
(с)f-mag.com

Автоспорт.ком пишет, что Уитмарш отстранил Райана, потому что именно он повлиял на ситуацию в Мельбурне и на репутацию команды....((((



ИМХО, должен быть строгий выговор с лишением всех премий за год, но раз Дэйв с Маком в одной лодке уже 34 года, то такие вещи, как -6 очков на старте сезона (итак при отсутствии самовозки) можно и Нужно(!) прощать.
Не в курсе всех перипетий м/у Уитмаршем и Райаном, но надеюсь Мартин лишь наказал Дэйва, а не уволил.

+1 но чота сдаётся мне дело не в старичке Дэйве, имхо какие-то дрязги внутри командны ((( фобы небось уже вопят что из-за ЛХ команда лишается преданных ветеранов ...

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh says he has 'deep, deep regret' for the situation his team has found itself in after Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix.

On the day that he was was forced to suspend McLaren stalwart Dave Ryan, its sporting director, for providing 'deliberately misleading' comments to race stewards in Melbourne, Whitmarsh said his team was embarrassed by all that had happened.

He revealed that it had only become clear last night and this morning that Ryan had not been totally truthful with the race stewards as they discussed Jarno Trulli overtaking Lewis Hamilton in the final safety car period of the Australia race.

Ryan and Hamilton misled the stewards because they claimed that there had been no radio conversation to discuss letting Trulli retake third place - something that was disproved after the race.

Speaking during a tense FIA press conference at Sepang on Friday, Whitmarsh said he had no choice but to suspend Ryan for his behaviour in the stewards' meeting.

"It has become clear from discussions with Dave last night and through into this morning that during the stewards meeting after the Australian Grand Prix, he was not entirely full and truthful in the answers he gave the stewards," said Whitmarsh.

"Consequently we had no alternative today other than to suspend him. As you can imagine, it is a very sad day for the team. We have got to deal with this weekend. We have to look in a bit more detail all of the events that surrounded it.

"From my perspective obviously it is a point of deep, deep regret – it is not how I wanted this year in particular to start. It is something for which the team and myself are not only deeply embarrassed but deeply regretful, and for Davey it has been a shattering day for him."

Whitmarsh explained that Ryan and Hamilton's decision not to tell the stewards about the radio conversation between team and driver was taken unilaterally, without consultation with senior management.

"I think anyone who knows Davey will know that he did not set out with any deliberate intention to mislead the stewards," said Whitmarsh.

"He went to that meeting with Lewis I am sure with the intention of being very clear and straightforward, but I think during the course of that meeting, as we have explored it more with him over the past 24 hours, it has become clear that he was not as full and comprehensive as he could have been."

When asked if he felt Hamilton had also been truthful in the meeting, Whitmarsh said: "No. I think that Lewis was not entirely truthful, but we have spoken to Davey. He was the senior member of the team and they went into the situation together.

"I think they were trying to deal with the situation and they got it wrong – but Davey as the senior member of the team was responsible for what happened and therefore I took the decision this morning."

Whitmarsh said a decision about Ryan's future would be made when the team returned from the Malaysian GP.

"Davey has been sent home, and we need to during the course of this weekend we need to understand exactly what happened and make the decision about Davey's future."

Whitmarsh also suggested further action could be taken, and did not rule out resigning himself over the matter.

When asked if he had considered stepping down, Whitmarsh said: "I think there are a lot of things going through my mind today as you can imagine, and it has happened during an event where we are trying to do the best job we can.

"I think as a team at the moment we have lost someone who is a significant anchor in this organisation and we have to make sure we pull together to do the best job we can this weekend. I think we have to reflect on anything that happened over the course of the Australian GP weekend after this race has finished."

He added: "I don't rule anything in or out. At the moment what we are keen and earnest to do today is make sure we put our hands up – and say there was a serious error of judgement during that process and we sure we come clean on that."

Hamilton has called a special press conference for Sepang this afternoon to explain his role in the events that took place in Australia last week.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says his future is in the hands of his companys shareholders.

In the wake of the fallout from Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix for deliberately misleading stewards, Whitmarsh has refused to rule out stepping down from the post he took from Ron Dennis on March 1.

But speaking ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Whitmarsh believed the matter would now be dealt with by McLaren's shareholders.

When asked if he was considering his future, Whitmarsh said: "Well it wouldn't be true if I said I wasn't, because at a time like this you think about what you got involved with this sport for and it wasn't for this sort of thing.

"You also think about what is best for the company and this great team. And it hasn't been a great experience for me. It wasn't what I started out 20 years ago to experience."

He added: "In the longer term I can contemplate my own future. Of course it is not self-determining, it's for the shareholders of this team to take a view and that's something they have to decide what's the best thing."

Whitmarsh said the team would return to its Woking base to decide on the next step following a remarkable week.

"I'm not resigning this weekend," he said. "We've made a commitment to look at how we arrived in this situation and we've got to learn from it and we've got to better in future.

"We will do a better job, I think therefore it is wrong to rule anything out, I've got to look at what is the best way forward for this team and how can we better in the future."

First of all I have to explain my role in the team. We are not running the team, we are a 40 per cent shareholder as everybody knows. I am one of the directors on the board of McLaren, and of course we discuss these issues internally. I am in permanent contact to Stuttgart, I am reporting to Dr Zetsche directly and of course we will sit down next week.

I'm not absolutely of the opinion that McLaren is creating one disaster after the other, in the meantime we won the world championship. I have full trust in Martin, just to point that out, and the whole affair is not what we want. Absolutely not. But still I have the feeling that these guys went and they were probably a little bit afraid of losing fourth place. And then all of a sudden they said no when they should have said yes. Because in hindsight you should have had a print out of the radio conversation, because you can look at it anyway. And if we are honest probably something like that has happened to all of us.

This is not an excuse, but we are not creating one problem after the other and I think we had a good relationship. I know exactly what money we are spending and I know exactly what positive values we got from last year. This is currently not a positive value – the newspapers are full of our stories. It is certainly not creating the right image. If it would not be bearable, then we need to sit down in Stuttgart and take our decision, but for now I have all the faith and all that I can put behind Martin. He is a great guy and runs the team in a very good way.

Мне уже заговор против Мартина мерещится... Возможно австралийские события - это повод наезда на нашего руководителя и всё было подстроено? Кем? Акционеры вы...ются?

Гнать надо Уитмарша.

Мне уже заговор против Мартина мерещится... Возможно австралийские события - это повод наезда на нашего руководителя и всё было подстроено? Кем? Акционеры вы...ются?

Вообще акционеры это Рон Деннис, Ольмерт и Мерседес Бенц. Всего три держателя. К кому из них у тебя претензия?

Гнать его не надо, как помошник он действительно очень и очень хорош,но до Рона ему как Доменикали до Тодта или Брауна,короче Роня вернись

Может быть Мерседес хочет поглотить Маков, как БМВ поглотил Заубер, и стать заводской командой?

Ну к кому? Путём логических умозаключений... Наверняка немцы воду мутят. После успеха Брауна, есть у них повод для недовольства.

Может быть Мерседес хочет поглотить Маков, как БМВ поглотил Заубер, и стать заводской командой?

Международная Автомобильная Федерация направила компании ВВС письменный запрос на получение копий интервью руководителя команды McLaren Мартина Уитмарша, записанных сразу по прошествии Гран При Австралии.

Поскольку расследование FIA в полном разгаре, эти записи, по убеждению функционеров, могут помочь сделать правильные выводы о роли Уитмарша в случившемся. Кроме того, благодаря изучению интервью, представители FIA хотят понять, насколько сам Уитмарш был в курсе происходящего, ведь на Гран При Малайзии Мартин утверждал, что вообще не знал о том, что насочиняли Райан и Хэмилтон, в один голос утверждавшие, что не было никакого указания по радио пропускать Трулли.

Все неприятности развернулись вокруг двух безобидных интервью Уитмарша. Первое из них он дал после гонки в Австралии для радио ВВС 5: «Идя по трассе за автомобилем безопасности, Ярно Трулли ошибся и, вылетев с трека, оказался на траве. Льюис вполне законным путем опередил его, однако после этого Трулли сам опередил Льюиса. Судьи считают этот маневр незаконным и в данный момент проводят расследование по поводу того, кто должен занимать третье, а кто – четвертое место».

Во время другого интервью (предположительно – питлейн-репортеру ВВС Теду Кравитцу) Уитмарш сказал: «Трулли совершил обгон, идя за автомобилем безопасности. А этого делать нельзя. Насколько мне известно, FIA сейчас рассматривает этот вопрос».

Теперь FIA хочет получить копии записей этих интервью и верит, что любая информация от ВВС может помочь расследованию перед тем, как McLaren предстанет перед Всемирным Советом FIA, расследующим дело о предоставлении заранее лживой информации стюардам Гран При.

Мартин сразу уволится без выходного и заседаний в Штуттгарте, если на него накинутся эти...
Хотя может и приятно удивить, если открыто продолжит дело нашего легендарного шефа.

Автоспорт.ком пишет, что Уитмарш отстранил Райана, потому что именно он повлиял на ситуацию в Мельбурне и на репутацию команды....((((
ИМХО, должен быть строгий выговор с лишением всех премий за год, но раз Дэйв с Маком в одной лодке уже 34 года, то такие вещи, как -6 очков на старте сезона (итак при отсутствии самовозки) можно и Нужно(!) прощать.
Не в курсе всех перипетий м/у Уитмаршем и Райаном, но надеюсь Мартин лишь наказал Дэйва, а не уволил.

опаньки
седня оказывается у Мартина днюха, 51 год
надо бы выпить