Question: You said you’ll allow both drivers to push for the title, but with Lewis in such a superior position, have you worked through situations in which you might ask Jenson Button to help him out?
Martin Whitmarsh: I think we all know there are no team orders in the sport, so I think the right thing for a racing driver is to go there and win. I’d be disappointed if Jenson wasn’t going there trying to win. I think the championship for Jenson in particular is tough, but if he was telling me that he’d given up, then I would be deeply disappointed.
So I think the right thing is that if he’s getting his car in front of all of our competitors, that’s the absolute right target and we’ll see what happens in the course of the weekend. There’s a good relationship between the two drivers. I’m sure they’re going to co-operate with each other. I think Jenson is a remarkably composed, mature, thinking driver, and he should go there with the attitude of trying and seeking to win the race. During the course of the weekend, I’m sure he’ll do everything he can to fulfil the ambitions of the team.
Question: So are you thinking of the possibility of Jenson helping Lewis out if things aren’t going well for Button?
Martin Whitmarsh: I think Lewis and Jenson are both going to try and win the race. In the race itself, then we’ll see what that situation is. If we are in the fortunate position of running in a strong one-two position, then that’s a nice challenge to have. But I think the right frame of mind for the team and both drivers is we should be going to any event trying to win it, and trying to have a one-two. In order to do that, we’re going to have to deliver performance improvements, which we’re seeking to, on the car, we’re going to have to perform well in the setting up and as a team, and the drivers have got to be performing as well.
We can try and consider a variety of scenarios. We’ve been in championship hunts many times before, so have both these drivers. The best thing to do is to try and go there and win. We are not in the fortunate position of defending a lead, we’re going there to attack and try and win.
Question: Christian Horner said earlier this week that if Fernando Alonso were to win the world championship, it would be frustrating because ‘Red Bull has been working under the auspices that team orders are illegal’. Do you share that point of view?
Martin Whitmarsh: I have lots of private views on the outcome. I think if anyone other than a McLaren driver wins the championship it will be very frustrating… I’m not going to cast aspersions on what others have done. We run our team as we wish to and we understand the rules in one sense. It may well be that other teams have got a different view on that, but at the end of the day Red Bull have produced a fast car and they’ve been highly competitive all year. You’ve got to give Ferrari credit, regardless of the team order debate and all those other things, they were really struggling mid-season, they’ve had a resurgence and they’ve looked very competitive - and Alonso is a formidable competitor.
We shouldn’t detract from what really, probably, is one of the greatest Formula One championships in our history, with issues about what teams did or didn’t do during the course of the year. It’s been a fantastic championship. Genuinely, at the moment, there are a number of contenders from three different teams competing for this championship, and I think that’s been fantastic and we’ve had three one-twos, some great moments, some struggling moments. Red Bull have had moments of triumph and tragedy, and so have Ferrari, and that’s moved around during the year. I hope the last two races see McLaren resurgent and dominant and scoring a one-two in the last two races. That would be a nice end to the season.
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