Team boss says McLaren must be front-runners

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh spelt out the urgency for McLaren to make a lightning start to next season if his team are to avoid another barren campaign.

Whitmarsh’s message came a day after Prime Minister David Cameron paid a visit to the official opening of the new McLaren Production Centre on Thursday as the Woking-based organisation push into the high-end sports car market with their MP4-12C.

Cameron hailed the multi-million pound facility as “incredibly inspiring”, and the sport of Formula One in particular as “an incredible British success story” given the number of teams based on UK shores.

McLaren, however, have not won a constructors’ championship since 1999, and only one drivers’ crown – courtesy of Lewis Hamilton – in 2008.

Whitmarsh knows for 2012 McLaren have to be pacesetters if the lean times are to come to an end, and after watching Red Bull Racing win successive constructors’ and drivers’ titles these past two years.

“We’re very proud of the performance at the weekend in Abu Dhabi to win that race,” said Whitmarsh of Hamilton’s success.

“That brings us to six victories, and obviously we’d like to make it seven (in the final race in Brazil on November 27) before the end of this year. But by the high standards of McLaren this has not been a vintage year.

“We had a slow start this year, so we have to get out of the blocks quickly and effectively at the start of next year to make sure we are winning races straightaway.

“We’ve two great drivers, a fantastic team of men and women here who are continuously innovative and moving us forward to be competitive.

“So we’re optimistic about next year. If we weren’t then we would have to change something because we are here to win.”