Pre-Race Interview With McLaren’s Vice President Norbert Haug
May 16, 2008
McLaren
Q:What are your thoughts on the competition at the top of Formula 1 prior to the Monaco Grand Prix?
Norbert Haug: “Monaco is a very special race with a circuit layout that makes it difficult to use the competitive situation seen at other circuits as a basis. For the team, this Grand Prix is always an extraordinary race, not least because we have won five times in the ten years since our first joint victory with McLaren in 1998. This year I expect that at least a handful of teams are capable of achieving top positions. The right strategy, and sometimes also luck during the race, play a more important role at the street circuit in Monaco than at any other race track. A Safety Car deployment following an accident can favour the driver who has just refuelled and disadvantage the one who has yet to pit. Generally the one with the longer first stint has the better cards, however not if the Safety Car comes out at the wrong moment for him. For those circumstances Monaco is particularly special as it is almost impossible to overtake.”
Q: Do you think that the gap at the top of the Drivers’ and Constructors’ points table has already grown too big for the team?
Norbert Haug: “Not at all. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have been closer to the leader on the challenging circuits of Barcelona and Istanbul than before in Malaysia and Bahrain. Lewis is seven points behind, Heikki 21. Last year at a later time of the season Kimi Raikkonen had a greater gap to the top than our drivers now. The team has to improve further, and then everything is possible.”
Q: In the future we will continue to see the ’more aggressive’ strategies as seen with Lewis at the Turkish Grand Prix?
Norbert Haug: “Lewis’s strategy in Turkey was a necessity at this race because there were concerns about the reliability of the right front tyre; however the realisation of this strategy was a good experience. On paper the three-stop strategy is slower at Istanbul; in addition there is the danger to get into traffic. However Lewis’s speed was good enough to almost compensate for both handicaps. Our opposition was definitely not running without pushing to stay in first place. Without Kimi’s contact that led to Heikki’s puncture and the required additional pit stop, I am sure that also for Heikki a podium position would have been possible.”
