(McLaren Mercedes)
McLaren Mercedes head into this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix hoping to extend their one point advantage over the Sahara Force India Formula One Team in the Constructors championship. The Woking based outfit have had a difficult 2014 season so far and have only secured two podium finishes which came at the season opening Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne in March.
Last time out at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza the team scored five points with Jenson Button finishing the race in 8th place while Kevin Magnussen finished the race in 10th place.
This season, once again will see the Marina Bay circuit feature two DRS zones where the team's will reach up to 300kph. The circuit is lit by 1,5000 lamps which are on just one side of the circuit. The team have taken a single victory at the circuit in 2009 while they have taken two pole positions 2009 and 2012 while securing one fastest lap in 2011.
Speaking about this weekend's race, Jenson Button commented:
'This is such a special race. The whole weekend feels different – there’s a buzz to the paddock when you first walk in on Thursday afternoon and it never goes away. You can feel the vibe – and the tension and anticipation climb higher and higher as we get closer to the race itself on Sunday night.
“We had a positive showing at Spa and Monza, and we’re continuing to develop and improve the car. As we move back to higher-downforce circuits, it’ll be interesting to see how the pack reshuffles itself – I think we’ll still be able to maintain our forward momentum.
“I also think Monza showed us that this formula is working – we had some fantastically close battles in Italy, and I really hope that we continue that in Singapore. It’s not the easiest of tracks for racing, but I think Monza has shown that the new regulations are in fact making the racing better. I’m really looking forward to getting out on track and seeing what these cars can do.'
Kevin Magnussen commented on this weekend's race saying:
'I’ve been looking forward to this race all year! I’ve never done a night race before, so this is going to be such a special weekend. Racing at night under the spotlights really feels like a show, and I think it’s an incredible and positive thing for the sport as a whole.
“This is also probably going to be one of the physically toughest races of the year – it’ll last for nearly two hours, and there aren’t too many opportunities around the lap to relax. But I like that – I like tracks that are quite intense: I really enjoyed the Hungaroring, which is quite relentless, and this looks pretty similar.
“Finally, I think the impending ban on over-the-radio instructions will be interesting. As with any sudden change to the interpretation of the regulations, it’s going to be tricky to know exactly how best to proceed, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it work.'
McLaren Racing Director Eric Boullier has stated that the team should dig deep in the final six fly-away race's as the season comes to a close.
'The start of the fly-aways marks the final chapter of the world championship season. It’s a time when the whole team needs to dig deep as we continue our work to improve the car and carry some positive momentum across the winter and into next year. It’s an important time for everyone – and it will be interesting to see how our car responds to the return to the high-downforce circuits that proliferate for the remainder of the year.
“The Singapore Grand Prix has very quickly become one of Formula 1’s most important, vibrant and glamorous events. It’s a must-see race, and one that shows just what this sport can achieve with an open-minded approach to creating something new, unusual and innovative.
“We are still evaluating the full consequences of the new interpretation of Article 20.1 of the FIA Sporting Regulations, but, as a team, we will of course find a solution that works and which follows this new interpretation. Singapore is a difficult race to manage under normal circumstances, so this will definitely add an extra dimension to our preparations.'
© Ben Johnston 2014
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