McLaren is currently leading the constructors’ championship. But the Woking team must understand that when you are on top, there are just two possibilities: to stay or to fall. Obviously, no team wants to fall. But watchers in the industry said that if the team’s problems will not be addressed, McLaren will surely lose its chance to be the champion this season.
First thing first, Nelson Piquet tells the McLaren duo – Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton – to ‘keep quiet.’ The three-time Formula One world champion Piquet said that the high-profile spat between the drivers has not been good for the team. The Brazilian told the Spanish news agency EFE that it’s time that the pair stopped talking and focused on racing instead.
"To lose respect is never good," he said. "And, while I do not believe that they are at that point yet, they should take the opportunity to keep quiet."
Star manager Willi Weber, as published by Planet-F1, said that Alonso would be stupid to consider leaving McLaren. The German, who used to manage Schumi’s affairs, believes that Alonso needs to reach concord with McLaren as well as his teammate.
Weber told Bild am Sonntag: "Alonso ought to think carefully about what is really important. He is a two-time World Champion, and that is a big thing. Therefore, he should sit down with McLaren and sort out this thing with Hamilton."
Weber is surprised with the Spaniard’s reaction to the pressure from his rookie teammate. "I do not understand Alonso’s behavior," Weber said. "He has not resorted to these kind of tricks before. I always thought of him as being cool. Instead he is making it into a Spanish bullfight and does things without appearing to think about them. In doing so, his credibility suffers - and that is the worst thing he can do. He must proceed with pride, get the team on side and not hide himself away. A change of team would be absolute feeble-mindedness."
Finally, experts say that the Woking team should concentrate on winning. Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren’s CEO, said the team will be able to put their Hungarian saga behind them and race to victory at the Turkish GP.
But notwithstanding the reports, Whitmarsh is confident the Woking team will not allow the intrateam war to deter them from their task of winning the Turkish GP. "Every single member of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team is keen to get back to the racing next weekend in Turkey," he said. "Each race weekend has its own challenges, we faced some fairly unique ones at the Hungarian Grand Prix and there has been much reportage in the press in the two weeks since; however none of this has affected the preparation and motivation of Fernando, Lewis and the team for this 12th round of the season.”
"In Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart the work has been relentless as we seek to find the performance enhancements we know we have to achieve in order to continue our battle for both Championships," Whitmarsh concluded.