OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Singapore/Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore, Sep 26, 2010
Still targeting both titles
JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-25A-01
- Started: 4th
- Finished: 4th
- Fastest lap: 1m49.711s (+1.735s), 7th
- Pitstops: One: on lap 29 (Opt-Pri)
- 2010 points: 177 (5th)
�At the start, I thought I�d take it easy on the rear tyres, because we saw earlier in the weekend how quickly they were going away, and I think doing that helped me towards the end of my first stint when I was pulling in Lewis.
�On the Prime tyre, I had a similar issue with rear-end stability, so not being able to challenge a Red Bull car that had 30 extra laps on its tyres showed us that they were very quick around here today.
�But it�s a circuit where we knew they�d be competitive, and probably one that was going to be difficult for us, so I go to Japan pretty happy.We�ve got a good upgrade for Suzuka: we�ll have something that we tried to put on the car this weekend but couldn�t - for reliability reasons.
�Coupled with our planned-for-Suzuka upgrade, it should hopefully be a bit of a double-whammy.My championship hopes were dented a little bit by Mark (Webber) finishing ahead of me, but the points gap to the front is just a race victory away.
�It shows there�s still everything to play for - one bad race can cost you a lot of points.�
LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-25A-02
- Started: 3rd
- Finished: Ret � puncture/accident
- Fastest lap: 1m50.750s (+2.774s), 10th
- Pitstops: on lap 28 (Opt-Pri)
- 2010 points: 182 (3rd)
�I�m still not exactly sure what happened with Mark and me. But, telling it from my point of view, I saw that he�d made a mistake, and had got caught up with the backmarkers, so I was in position to slipstream him.
�I was on the outside going into Turn Seven, and he was in my blind-spot, just behind me. I thought I�d got sufficiently past him, though. I braked, turned in, and tried to leave enough room for him on the inside - and the next thing I knew I�d got clipped, my tyre was blown, and that was it.
�But, as the saying goes, I guess that�s motor racing. So, there are still four races to go. I�m 20 points behind Mark, and that�s a reasonable gap, but it�s not an insurmountable one. I guess I�ll just have to keep my head down and hope for the best.
�I�m not going to think specifically about the world championship right now, I�m just going to try to enjoy the rest of the season - and whatever happens happens. But I�ll keep fighting to the end, because it�s the only way I know.�
MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
�Jenson drove an impressively solid race to bag 12 valuable world championship points, and was unlucky to miss out on a podium finish so narrowly. Lewis, too, drove a great race. We reckon he has good reason to consider himself rather unlucky, since he appeared to have pulled off a sound overtaking manoeuvre only to be bumped out of the race by the car he�d passed.
�But I guess that�s motor racing. He�s disappointed - we�re all disappointed - but we�ll regroup and continue to fight for both the drivers� world championship and the constructors� world championship.
�There are four Grands Prix left to run - four Grands Prix left to win in fact - and both our drivers are within a win of the drivers� world championship lead. So, yes, we�re still within striking distance of taking both the drivers� world championship and the constructors� world championship, and that�s what we�re still intending to do our utmost to achieve. That�s what Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is all about, in fact.�
* Official photos and details courtesy of VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES *
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