Upgrade will help us fight for British GP win, Hamilton and Button say

6th July 2010, 12:17 by Keith Collantine 71 Comments »

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button said they expect to be in the hunt for victory in the British Grand Prix this weekend as McLaren bring another performance upgrade for their home race.

Speaking at a press conference in London today the pair were also enthusiastic about racing on the revised Silverstone circuit, with Hamilton saying he expects the track will be “even faster” than before.

Button expects McLaren’s planned upgrade for this race – introducing their version of Red Bull’s exhaust-driven diffuser – will put them in contention for victory:

We have new parts on the car which should make us more competitive. Our package will lift us into a good position where we can really fight for victory this weekend.

As you saw in the last race a few cars had new parts, mostly this special diffuser Red Bull have been running since the start of the season.

We do need to raise our game and add performance to our car if we’re going to challenge the Red Bulls. When we add new parts it’s not just a question of sticking them on and going faster. You have to work with the new balance of the car. It’s a challenge but it’s something we’ve got to do.
Jenson Button

Hamilton stressed it would be important to see how well the new parts worked in practice before the race:

Often when you bring an upgrade package it doesn’t do exactly what you expect. We’ll have to see exactly which parts work and which parts don’t.
Lewis Hamilton

The pair seemed in good spirits ahead of their home race. Hamilton jokingly brushing off a question about how the team’s F-duct worked saying “We’ll leave it to you think what we have!”

Button also gave an insight into his thinking behind joining McLaren at the start of the season in this exchange between the two:

LH: We’ve not been dominant every year. We’ve had good car, not so good car, bad car, good car…

JB: The great thing about McLaren is a ‘bad car’ can still win two races!

LH: You should try driving it! He’s driven the 23, but not the 24 [last year's car].

Button also talked more directly about why he switched teams last year:

After winning the world championship I thought “where do I go from here?” You don’t plan for what you do after winning the world championship. Immediately afterwards I thought I needed a new challenge.
Jenson Button

The pair were largely enthusiastic about the changes made to the home of the British Grand Prix for this year’s race.

Silverstone has always been a very fast, flowing circuit. This adds something but it also takes away from the flow a little bit. But it will hopefully offer an overtaking opportunity.

Becketts [which hasn't changed] is one of the best sections in the world in a racing car.

Brooklands is now more difficult because when you turn in there’s two kerbs. The first one is nothing to do with the actual corner. It’s a hard corner to get right with a late apex.

The new Club is not that different for us. But the new right-left kink – the quick section – is going to be flat and it’s very bumpy.

Then you’ve got the two slow corners with some big kerbs which you don’t want to hit.
Jenson Button

Hamilton added:

I drove it yesterday on the simulator and it was a very interesting experience. I think on my first lap of the circuit I missed out the new bit and continued as normal.

It took a lap longer than normal to get used to not going up to Abbey and turning left but going right onto the new section. It looks like they’ve done a great job.

It’s an extremely fast circuit and I think it’s going to be one of the fastest circuits. It was fast before but I think it’s going to be even faster now.
Lewis Hamilton

Later he was asked how well the pair of world champions got on and joked:

We’re just really good actors. Next year I’m going to Bollywood, he’s going to Hollywood.
Lewis Hamilton

The relationship between the pair remains under close scrutiny. Button has been out-qualified by Hamilton in the last five races and he admitted he had no answer for his team mate’s pace in Canada:

I was behind him at Montreal – Lewis put an unbelievable lap together. He’s never been anywhere other than on pole in Montreal. At Valencia I made a mistake in the last corner.

It makes things tougher for myself because in the race I’ve got more to do and at circuits where you can’t overtake it’s very tricky. But I’ve been able to in the last few races which has been good.
Jenson Button

The pair were asked whether they would fight for position or hold station if they were leading on the last lap of the race. Hamilton insisted that, despite the appeal of winning at home, the championship comes first:

I think it’s important to remember the championship isn’t going to be won this weekend. In terms of the championship, it’s just another race. But on the emotional side it’s a special Grand Prix for us. But I don’t think it’s necessary to do anything silly on the last lap.
Lewis Hamilton

Button had expressed similar sentiments earlier:

I love the British Grand Prix, it has such a good atmosphere. It’s not just because I’m British There are a few races around the world where you get a very special atmosphere and Silverstone is one of them.

My main aim is to win the world championship and also to win my home Grand Prix. It’s something I’m looking for this weekend.
Jenson Button

Hamilton ended by responding to Damon Hill’s suggestion that he might be more prone to mistakes than Button:

It’s very interesting to know how past world champions talk about the present. We’ll see if it’s true or not and if they know what they’re talking about.
Lewis Hamilton

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