Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2012: Race Report - Jenson Button 2nd amid Lewis Hamilton's abandon

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JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-27A-03
- Started: 4th
- Finished: 2nd
- Fastest lap: 1m52.625s (+1.592s, 4th)
- Pitstops: Two: laps 14 (3.73s) and 33 (3.33s) [Opt-Pri-Pri]
- Points: 119 (6th)

“It’s nice to be back on the podium – and, if I finish every remaining race in the top one or two, that’ll be perfect.

“During the first stint, I even thought I had a chance of winning because I was able to go longer than the cars around me. But then they didn’t seem to struggle much on the harder tyre, so the advantage swung away from me. I had a good second stint, but the harder tyre didn’t feel quite as good for me [as the softer tyre]. Then I didn’t really have good balance in the final 10 laps.

“I still have a slim chance of winning the drivers’ world championship, but I’m just enjoying my racing at the moment. I think our car will be competitive at Suzuka, and we’re doing a very good job as a team too. Of course, it’s disappointing that we had a reliability failure with Lewis’s car, so that’s something we need to solve, particularly as we’re doing such a good job in every other area.

“If we can solve our reliability issues, we’ll definitely have a chance of fighting for the win in all six remaining races.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-27A-04
- Started: 1st
- Finished: Ret - gearbox failure
- Fastest lap: 1m55.541s (+4.508s, 19th)
- Pitstops: One: lap 12 (2.94s) [Opt-Pri]
- Points: 142 (4th)

“It’s heart-breaking not to have finished the race today.

We definitely had the pace to win this weekend. In fact, before I retired, I was cruising; just managing the gap back to Seb [Vettel].

“Then I started to experience difficulty with the gearshift, then I lost third gear, and then the ’box kept dropping into neutral.

“Obviously, I was disappointed, but the good thing we can take away from this weekend is that we have extremely good pace. As a result, I think we can really attack in the next few races. It’s going to be hard to close the gap to guys like Fernando [Alonso] and Sebastian [Vettel], especially when they keep finishing race after race, but I’ll never give up.

“There are six more races, and I need to go and win all six.

“I’ll fight until the end.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Until his run was curtailed by gearbox failure on lap 23, Lewis was driving towards what would have been the perfect end to a weekend throughout which his pace had been consistently awesome.

“Clearly, for him not to have been able to score the 25 world championship points that his pace looked like netting him was a great disappointment for all of us at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. But, as TV viewers the world over will have seen from his post-race interviews, Lewis is a fighter and he won’t give up.

“Neither will we. There are six grands prix left to run this season – which equate to a potential 150 world championship points for any driver to score – and you should be in no doubt that Lewis will be aiming to get as close to that 150 target as possible.

“In the constructors’ world championship, too, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes remains very much in the hunt – bolstered in no small measure by the 18 world championship points that Jenson’s solid run to second place occasioned here today.

“We’ll keep pushing. Roll on Suzuka.”

~ Official photos and report courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2012: Qualifying Report - Lewis Hamilton achieves a new pole position

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• 153rd pole for McLaren
• 74th pole for McLaren, Mercedes and Mobil 1
• 28th pole for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
• 24th pole for Lewis
• 6th pole of the season for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
• 4th successive pole for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-27A-04
- FP3: 2nd, 1m48.272s (+0.325s), 15 laps
- Qualifying:
- Q1: 5th, 1m48.285s (on Primes)
- Q2: 1st, 1m46.665s (on Options)
- Q3: 1st overall, 1m46.362s (on Options)

“I’m very happy with pole position. It’s been a good weekend so far, but there are no points for today, and it’s going to be a long, tough race, so I still need to be cautious. I hope we’ve done the work we need to do to put us in a strong position for tomorrow – the key will just be to stay out of trouble and look after the tyres.

“Our guys at the factory have done an incredible job to bring our upgrades to the track this weekend. In previous years, we’ve often been playing catch-up on development throughout the season, but, this year, we’re right there.

“I’ve always believed that if we could start the season strongly, we’d be able to pull ahead. We’ve been there or thereabouts all season, but now I think we’re starting to see the real strength of my team pull through.”

JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-27A-03
- FP3: 12th, 1m50.524s (+2.577s), 10 laps
- Qualifying:
- Q1: 9th, 1m49.381s (on Primes)
- Q2: 7th, 1m47.661s (on Options)
- Q3: 4th overall, 1m46.939s (on Options)

“I found it a bit tough today; I didn’t really feel comfortable with my car, the rear went away from me quite quickly, and I struggled to look after the tyres over a lap. I hope the balance will be better in the race than it was in qualifying.

“The high degradation around here will make it a tricky race, but I think we’ll be okay.

“It’s going to be tough for everyone on Sunday evening, but you can overtake around here. Starting from fourth means you can hope for the best – a win – but the pace just wasn’t quite there for me in qualifying. I hope it’s better in the race.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Lewis has been in fantastic form all weekend, and today he showed a tremendous turn of speed to take a superb pole position here in Singapore this evening.

“It was Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ fourth consecutive pole position and the 153rd pole position in McLaren’s history, and it was achieved one day shy of the 40th anniversary of our very first world championship grand prix pole position, which was notched up by the late Peter Revson at Mosport Park [Canada] on September 23rd 1972.

“Yesterday, too, he looked impressive, showing strong long-run pace in the free practice sessions.

“Jenson had a more challenging time of things this evening, but he showed his mettle and his class by posting fourth-best time despite not having been entirely comfortable here today. But he’s a magnificent racing driver, as we all know, and he’ll be looking to score heavily tomorrow.

“Lewis will be looking to win, of course – and, as long as he gets a clean start, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t do just that. We never under-estimate our opposition, and undoubtedly tomorrow’s race will be a long and difficult one, but you’d have to say that we’re in a pretty good position: firing on all cylinders, in fact!”

~ Official photos and report courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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