Lewis Hamilton admits McLaren face a tough start to the season in Melbourne:
?We can?t hide the fact that testing has been tougher than we expected: our test mileage hasn?t been as high as that of our rivals, nor have we had the outright pace of the fastest cars.
?Still, I have a good feeling with MP4-26: I like driving our car, I think it will look after its tyres quite well and I understand that we?ll be making further performance steps ahead of this opening race.
?Nevertheless, we know we go to Melbourne ready for battle: some teams are extremely well prepared ? both from a pace and reliability point of view ? but that can sometimes count for little in the unpredictable and somewhat chaotic opening races where it?s equally vital just to take points home.?
However he is optimistic ahead of the first race of the year: ?I strongly believe that, while our preparations haven?t gone as smoothly as we?d have liked, I get the impression that we?ll be arriving in Melbourne with everything finally meshing together ? and that makes me really excited.?
And he?s looking forward to getting started following the postponement of the first race: ?It?s felt like a very long winter.
?I started the new season feeling fitter and more positive than ever and I?ve maintained that enthusiasm and momentum despite a somewhat difficult few weeks of winter tests.?
Whitmarsh: ?we?ve tested car beyond its limit?
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said the pace the team had shown in testing was not reflective of how they would perform in Australia:
?Over the winter, we set ourselves some extremely ambitious performance targets for MP4-26. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are an uncompromising team and, as with every car we build, we tend to push development to the limit.
?In some cases, we?ve pushed over those limits, and the resulting lack of mileage has invariably eaten into our pre-season preparation.
?However, it?s called testing for a reason ? and testing MP4-26 beyond its limit has, in some ways, been highly instructive. In actual fact, we?ve gathered a huge amount of useful data about the car, its handling characteristics and its management of the tyres. So while we?ve further fine-tuned the package for Melbourne, we?ve once again set ourselves some extremely tough targets for this opening race weekend.
?So, do I think our testing pace is representative of the pace we?ll show in Australia? No.
?Do I think we head into the weekend as race favourites? Unfortunately, no.
?But do I feel that we have the capacity to surprise a few people and be competitive? Very much so.
?As with everything we do at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we never give up: we?re fighters ? that?s the spirit that has won us 20 world championships in the past and which makes us a team you can never under-estimate.?
2011 F1 season
- Webber praises Red Bull's "best winter ever"
- Button not expecting third Melbourne win
- Hamilton: 'We can't hide the fact it's been tough'
- Brawn pleased with Mercedes testing
- How new tyres will change F1 in 2011
- Kobayashi wants good result for Japan in Melbourne
- Waiting to win: When each F1 driver last won a race
- Whiting: Lapped drivers can use DRS to pass leader
- Rookies bring three countries back to F1
- Rosberg expects "very exciting races" in 2011
Browse all 2011 F1 season articles
Image © Pirelli

