McLaren chief looking forward to Di Resta's carrier

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McLAREN boss Martin Whitmarsh has revealed Bathgate's Paul Di Resta will go head-to-head with established Force India racers, Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi, when his new role as reserve driver for the Formula One team is confirmed next week.
While the 23-year-old continues to finalise the last few details on the contract which will propel him closer to a place on the grand prix grid, McLaren team principal Whitmarsh has confirmed the Scot will play a pivotal role for Force India. "Paul will be running, I believe, in the majority of the Friday sessions at grand prix weekends for Force India, so it's a great opportunity for him," Whitmarsh said.

"I'm happy for him. He's going to push like hell to make his case to have a race drive at Force India during the course of this year."

Di Resta, who worked with Whitmarsh when he tested with McLaren in 2008, has already impressed team bosses at Force India. During his three-day test at Jerez last month, the Scot lapped a full second faster than the team's established drivers.

"Since the test, for sure we have been in talks," the Scot said. "We are in the final stages of finishing off the programme they have set and hopefully we can build a very long and strong relationship."

Hamilton: No pressure on McLaren

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Having endured a nail-biting outing last year, McLaren are looking forward to racing in Brazil without any pressure.

Lewis Hamilton captured the driver's title at the season-ending Interlagos last year, and while there are still two races remaining in this year's season the McLaren star cannot defend his title.

With only pride on the line the Briton admits he's looking to have a bit more fun in Brazil than he has had in the past, with the energetic crowd something he's looking forward to.

"I'm really looking forward to this year's Brazilian Grand Prix - it will be the first time I've travelled to Sao Paulo without being in contention for the World Championship, and I'm actually looking forward to taking in a bit more of the city and relaxing and enjoying the experience of driving on one of the world's greatest racetracks," said Hamilton.

"One of the greatest things about racing at Interlagos is the crowd. There's such a great atmosphere; the fans have so much energy and life. It's a party while you're working, and it's great to see everyone happy."

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh echoed the thoughts of his driver but insisted the team would not be resting on their laurels despite being out of the title race.

"Travelling to Sao Paulo this year with our focus solely on achieving the very best result will allow us to attack the race weekend without any additional considerations, and we are very much looking forward to that challenge," explained Whitmarsh.

For his part Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug insisted the race for the Championship title was far from over with Jenson Button only 14 points ahead of his Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello and 16 points ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

"The world championship fight is open and electrifying - I know from my own experience what I am talking about when I say that with a 16-point deficit of Sebastian to Jenson, nothing has been decided yet," said Haug.

Hamilton baffled by change of fortune

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Lewis Hamilton admits even he does not entirely understand his dramatic change in fortune over the past twelve months.

But the McLaren driver insists he has not fallen out of love with Silverstone as he prepares to return to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs next weekend.

Hamilton got his tilt for the Formula One title back on track last season with a glorious victory that moved him back to the top of the drivers championship he would go on to win.

A year down the line, in the last British Grand Prix to held at the track before it is moved to Donnington Park, Hamilton would have been hoping for a repeat performance to bolster the defence of his crown.

Instead, his title has already been all but relinquished in a season where he has had to be content with scraps as fellow Briton Jenson Button takes the glory and the publicity.

Button will be looking to continue his relentless march to the 2009 championship with a seventh Grand Prix win of the season in his Brawn GP next Sunday, while Hamilton - in a vastly inferior McLaren - will simply be happy to get in the points places at all.

The turnaround has left many bewildered, not least Hamilton himself, but the 24-year-old is determined to enjoy the Silverstone send-off and retains the hope that he will be a contender again next season.

"I don't feel this year I've had more pressure than I've had before but it's definitely been a different situation," Hamilton said.

"If I had the opportunity to defend, I would be defending but clearly I haven't had the car to be able to do that.

"I think this year I have to just keep learning and enjoying the year, but hopefully next year we can go back for another win.

"I don't think people necessarily always understand what's going on in the sport, they don't understand why these things happen.

"I don't understand how we've come to where we are now but they (the media) have got a job to do, and you have to respect that, everyone has their own opinions.

"I love the Silverstone Grand Prix and its going to be a very special one because its the last Silverstone Grand Prix that we are going to have for some time.

"Being in my home country, being around my people, having the support - last year especially was incredible - and bringing the world championship back to the UK, it makes me very proud.

"It doesn't matter how young you are or how old you are, they're all there supporting and waving the British flag for myself and Jenson so I really hope they enjoy it and I'm looking forward to it too."

Hamilton: What can I do?

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Lewis Hamilton is at his wit's end with a car he has been unable to defend his F1 world title with this season.

Although girlfriend and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger was at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday to cheer on Hamilton, he finished out of the points in ninth and a lap down on race winner Jenson Button.

The 24-year-old has revealed his McLaren was so tetchy around the Circuit de Catalunya that at times it felt as though he was driving on ice.

"What can I do?" queried a frustrated Hamilton.

"I drove my heart out, as I always do, it's just that the car is not good. I had no grip.

"It's just a shame they [McLaren] haven't given me a car to defend the championship with. It's that bad because I'm driving the socks off it, yet there's just no hope.

"I gave it 100% for the entire race, so ninth place doesn't feel like the proper reward for the team who worked hard all weekend."

With 12 races remaining, Hamilton is 32 points behind Button, and barring a miracle is virtually out of the title race.

Although insisting he is "not even thinking about that," he came close to conceding the game is almost up.

"At the moment we don't have the car to win the championship," added Hamilton.

"But the team have done a fantastic job and every weekend they do a fantastic job. We have great reliability and the morale in the team is high."

It is now a case of roll on Monaco for Hamilton, the scene of one of his greatest victories of last season, and a circuit where he may have a chance of fighting at the front.

With no high-speed corners to contend with, unlike in Barcelona, the McLaren should react more favourably to the demands of the principality's famed street circuit.

"We're all hopeful Monaco will be a better race for us because the absence of fast corners shouldn't hurt us as much as it did here," assessed Hamilton.

"In fact, I'm already looking forward to it."

Sadly for Hamilton, racism again reared its ugly head in Barcelona, with the FIA looking into the latest incident to blight the sport.

BBC pictures caught a man with a blacked-up face, arms and hands, and wearing a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes T-shirt prior to the start of the race.

He appeared to be an isolated figure in a crowd of 92,000, but it was all too reminiscent of the scenes in February last year when Hamilton was racially abused during a test session.

On that occasion a group of people with their faces painted black, wearing curly wigs and t-shirts adorned with the words 'Hamilton's family', caused outrage.

The FIA have confirmed the issue is under review as a spokesperson said: "We are aware of it and we are looking into it."

Circuit boss Ramon Praderas will be on tenterhooks as the FIA made it clear after what transpired 15 months ago that serious sanctions could be imposed if they were to offend again.

McLaren given suspended race ban

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McLaren have been given a suspended three-race ban for misleading stewards at the Australian Grand Prix by motor sport's governing body, the FIA.

The British team admitted five charges of breaching Formula 1 rules at a special inquiry on Wednesday in Paris.

The penalty will only be enforced upon Lewis Hamilton's team if "further facts emerge" about this incident or if there is a "further breach" of the rules.

McLaren described the World Motor Sport Council hearing as "very fair".

The FIA said the approach of McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh in dealing with the incident once the full details had emerged, helped in earning them a suspension to the penalty they have received.Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate," read a World Motor Sport Council statement.

"This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151 c of the International Sporting Code."

Speaking after the hearing, FIA president Max Mosley said the WMSC's decision was "entirely fair."

He added: "McLaren have demonstrated there is a complete culture change, that it's all different to what it was.

"In those circumstances it looks better to put the whole thing behind us, so unless there is something similar in the future, that is the end of the matter."

F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone told BBC Sport that he felt McLaren may have escaped a harsher punishment.

606: DEBATE
Was it the right decision? Should they have been fined? Or should it have been worse?

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"It was good. Fair and honest and straightforward verdict. I thought Martin was happy with that. They knew they did something wrong so they got a slap."

When asked if they got off lightly, he added: "Probably, yes."

The incident occurred towards the end of the season-opening race in Melbourne where world champion Hamilton finished fourth behind Jarno Trulli's Toyota.

Following the race, McLaren accused the Italian of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.

Officials initially handed Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after he and McLaren's long-serving sporting director Dave Ryan gave evidence that the Englishman had not deliberately let the Toyota driver through, and had not been asked by the team to do so.But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this and Hamilton was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated to third place.

Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident in which he insisted was not a 'liar', has escaped punishment from the FIA and is free to drive at the next race in Spain on 10 May.

After full details were revealed, Whitmarsh made the decision to sack Ryan after 35 years with the team.

Former McLaren principal Ron Dennis, Whitmarsh's predecessor, also moved away from having any direct involvement with F1 - although he insisted this was not in any way related to the incident.

Whitmarsh also wrote to Mosley to offer an "unreserved apology" and accept the team were in breach of the regulations.

After appearing at the hearing in Paris, Whitmarsh said: "We are aware that we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again.

"I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."

In a team statement, McLaren thanked the FIA World Motor Sport Council members".

"We now look forward with enthusiasm to continuing our efforts to develop a closer and more co-operative relationship between ourselves and the FIA," it read.

"We will also continue to focus our efforts on closing the performance gap that exists between our car and the fastest cars.

"Following Lewis Hamilton's encouraging fourth place in Bahrain last Sunday, we are now optimistic that we will be able to play an increasingly competitive part in what is fast developing into a very exciting season of Formula 1 motor racing."

Hamilton's car has been largely uncompetitive car this season and he has only nine points from the first four races, trailing championship leader Jenson Button by 22.

Improving Hamilton urges caution

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Lewis Hamilton has warned there will be no quick fix for his McLaren team's problems despite an improved showing at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

The world champion achieved his best result of the season with fourth place but said the McLaren was still "a long way behind" the leading cars.

"I'm delighted, considering we started fifth, but it was just so hard to keep up with the guys," he said.

"Brawn and Toyota are so quick in the fast corners it was impossible for me."

McLaren were much more competitive in Bahrain than they had been at other venues this year.But that was partly down to the configuration of the circuit - the Sakhir track does not have many of the high-speed corners that expose the McLaren's lack of aerodynamic downforce.

"When you're behind people you learn a lot," said Hamilton, who spent portions of the race chasing Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

"It's fairly difficult to follow someone who has a lot more downforce than you. From Turn 4 onwards they lose me. It's just on the ragged edge each time.

"We're not really fighting back up there. We have just done a better job than a lot of people. While they make mistakes we are just collecting the points. We are still a long way behind with the car."

McLaren have a major update to the car for the next race in Spain on 10 May - as will all the other leading teams.

Despite that, both Hamilton and team boss Martin Whitmarsh said they expected to be further behind the pace-setters at the Barcelona track.

McLaren make apology for 'lying'

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McLaren have written to Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, to apologise for misleading race stewards after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

McLaren were found guilty of misleading race stewards, with their driver Lewis Hamilton disqualified from the race.

The team are charged with five counts of bringing the sport into disrepute and face an FIA hearing on 29 April.

Penalties could include expulsion from the 2009 championship, suspension, a fine or points deduction.

"We are co-operating with the FIA. I have written to (FIA president) Max Mosley but before 29 April I can't say anything about it," said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.

"It's a letter to them. Certainly, there's been no leak about it from us and I can't comment on it."

Whitmarsh's letter offers Mosley, the FIA and race officials "an unreserved apology" for lying to stewards in Melbourne.Hamilton finished fourth behind Trulli's Toyota, whom McLaren accused of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.

Officials initially handed Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after the world champion and McLaren's long-serving sporting director Dave Ryan gave evidence that the Englishman had not deliberately let the Toyota driver through, and had not been asked by the team to do so.

But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this and Hamilton was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated to third place.

Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident, is expected to escape further censure but Ryan, who was with him at the hearings and has worked for McLaren for 35 years, has been sacked.

Renault & McLaren change diffuser

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Renault and McLaren will run with updated diffusers at the Chinese Grand Prix, BBC Sport understands.

The two Formula 1 teams are reacting quickly to a decision by the sport's governing body, the FIA, to approve the use of split-level diffusers.

The FIA Court of Appeal this week rejected complaints from rival teams about the design used by Brawn Grand Prix, Toyota and Williams.

The decision will force the other teams to consider a drastic redesign.

Renault were amongst the teams who spoke strongly against the use of the split-level diffuser - an aerodynamic part at the rear of the car which increases performance - at an eight-hour hearing in Paris on Wednesday.

But the French team, who won constructors' titles in both 2005 and 2006, are now understood to have flown in a modified diffuser to the Shanghai International Circuit.McLaren are also expected to introduce a limited update to their diffuser when first free practice begins in China at 1000 local time (0300 BST) on Friday.

The split-level design is believed to give an advantage of around 0.5 seconds per lap, though Renault and McLaren are not expected to make such a leap in performance immediately.

"I do not think it will be a huge gain in the beginning," conceded Renault driver Fernando Alonso.

"It's not only about putting a magic part on the car - the whole philosophy of the car needs changing and that will take time.

"We will be better than in the last race (in Malaysia) but we can still develop further."

The seven teams who ran without the split-level diffuser in the opening races of 2009 in Australia and Malaysia will need both time and money to catch up with Brawn, Toyota and Williams.

Mike Gascoyne - former technical director of Toyota, Jordan and most recently Force India - told BBC Sport: "A major update to the rear of the car requires a redesign of the gear box, the crash structure and the rear suspension.

"While some teams will implement small updates based on the FIA's clarification, without a huge redesign they won't be able to get the full performance effect.Over the next couple of races we will see more and more teams making small updates while significant updates will only come in the following months."

The diffuser row broke out when Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull protested against the legality of the split-level design on the eve of the season-opening Grand Prix in Australia, but race stewards in Melbourne rejected their claims.

BMW Sauber then had a similar protest rejected at the Malaysian Grand Prix while McLaren subsequently recently added their weight to the official protest.

The FIA introduced a raft of rule changes for the 2009 season designed to aid overtaking and make racing more exciting - and the teams whose controversial interpretation of the FIA's regulations on the design of the diffusers has now been ruled legal have prospered.

Meanwhile, the teams that have used the new Kers (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) energy storage and power boost system so far this season - Renault, Ferrari, McLaren, and BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld - have experienced little success.

Ferrari, who have failed to score a point in the two races so far, have decided to dispense with Kers for the Chinese Grand Prix because of reliability problems.

Two-time world champion Alonso was this week quoted as saying: "We have done what the FIA wanted us to do and because of that are being beaten by teams that did what the FIA didn't want."

Hamilton not upset by Dennis exit

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Lewis Hamilton has insisted that despite being surprised at the exit of McLaren mentor Ron Dennis from Formula 1, he was "not disappointed".

Dennis, who stepped down as team boss in January, handed over complete control of McLaren Racing to team principal Martin Whitmarsh on Thursday.

"I wasn't disappointed," said the 23-year-old. "I was surprised."

Hamilton said Dennis would remain key in his life - but admitted he did not know why he had chosen to leave now. "Ron has been a huge force and support in my life, and he still plays a key role in my life," he told a news conference after Friday practice at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

"Whether or not he is in the team or not, I think you guys have been writing about it for years that as soon as he gets to a certain stage he will move aside.

"I guess I don't know why he decided to do it now."

Dennis ended his 43-year involvement in F1 at a time when McLaren, whose car Hamilton drove to the world title last year, are under intense pressure after a series of on and off-track troubles.

McLaren - who have failed to register a podium finish in the season's first two races - are set to face the sport's governing body, the FIA, on 29 April to answer charges of breaching the International Sporting Code.

That comes after the British team were found guilty of misleading race stewards following the Australian Grand Prix, which led to Hamilton being disqualified from the race.

And 61-year-old Dennis - who insists that the timing of his departure from F1 was "purely coincidental" - admitted his absence may well be welcomed by two of F1's biggest names. "I admit I'm not always easy to get on with. I admit I've always fought hard for McLaren in Formula 1," he said.

"I doubt if [FIA president] Max Mosley or [F1 commercial rights holder] Bernie Ecclestone will be displeased by my decision."

Martin Whitmarsh has also suggested that Dennis' departure may improve the team's standing with the FIA.

As executive chairman of McLaren Automotive, Dennis will now concentrate solely on leading the group's project to develop a range of pure McLaren sports cars, with the launch date for the first model set for 2011.

The future of Hamilton, who is contracted to McLaren until 2013, has been subject to scrutiny since events in Melbourne - but he insisted on Friday that he was not looking elsewhere.

"I'm contracted to the team and I'm happy where I am," he said.

McLaren's Dennis quits Formula 1

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Ron Dennis has handed over complete control of McLaren Racing to team principal Martin Whitmarsh, ending his 43-year involvement in Formula 1.

The 61-year-old stepped down as world champion Lewis Hamilton's team boss on 16 January, but stayed involved in F1.

Dennis will now concentrate solely on McLaren's new sports car project.

"I am the architect of this restructure of McLaren. I have no qualms about leaving Martin to look after all matters connected to F1," said Dennis.

"I feel enormously enthused about the prospects for both the McLaren Group and for McLaren Automotive."

As executive chairman of McLaren Automotive, Dennis will lead the group's project to develop a range of pure McLaren sports cars, with the launch date for the first model set for 2011.And with McLaren set to face the sport's governing body, the FIA, on 29 April to answer charges of breaching the International Sporting Code, Dennis admits his departure will be welcomed by two of F1's biggest names.

"I admit I'm not always easy to get on with. I admit I've always fought hard for McLaren in Formula 1," he said.

"I doubt if (FIA president) Max Mosley or (F1 supremo) Bernie Ecclestone will be displeased by my decision."

However, Dennis, who first took over as McLaren team principal in 1981, insisted at a news conference that the timing of his departure from F1 was "purely coincidental" and not linked to the team's upcoming FIA hearing.

McLaren were found guilty of misleading race stewards following the Australian Grand Prix, which led to Lewis Hamilton - who had been awarded third place - being disqualified from the race and stripped of his points.

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Jonathan Legard on Dennis departure

Hamilton subsequently apologised for his involvement in the incident, claiming he had been told to lie by sporting director Dave Ryan, who was suspended and then sacked within 24 hours of the FIA's announcement of its findings.

New team principal Whitmarsh also confirmed on Thursday that he offered to quit.

BBC sports news correspondent Andy Swiss reported: "There has been speculation about Ron's reasons for leaving and I asked him whether he knew about Ryan's and Hamilton's decision to mislead stewards. He said he didn't know anything.

"I then asked whether he was leaving F1 to improve McLaren's chances at the hearing and he said 'no'.

"I also asked him about relationship with Hamilton and his father Anthony, because there were reports that it was not as strong as before. He said this wasn't the case. He revealed he had spoken to Lewis and his father a few days ago in Australia. He also praised Lewis' public apology following the incident in Australia."

McLaren likely to face F1 inquiry

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The McLaren team are expected to face disciplinary charges after being found guilty of misleading race stewards following the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and the team have already been stripped of their points from the race and the Englishman has issued an emotional public apology.

But BBC Sport has learned governing body the FIA is poised to order them to officially account for their actions.

A spokesman said the FIA was awaiting a report from its race observer.

It is understood that is expected imminently, and any further developments should become clear by Wednesday.

It is expected McLaren will be called before a meeting of the FIA World Council - but that this is unlikely to be scheduled before the Bahrain Grand Prix, the fourth race of the season, later this month.

The World Council is the body which disqualified McLaren from the constructors' championship and fined them $100m (£67m) for their role in a spy scandal involving Ferrari in 2007.

There is no limit to the action it could take in this instance if it deemed it serious enough.

Hamilton himself is expected to escape further censure.The world champion has said he was ordered to give misleading evidence by sporting director Dave Ryan, who was with him at the hearings.

Ryan, who has worked for McLaren for 35 years, has been suspended by team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

The two were found guilty of "providing evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards".

Hamilton finished fourth on the road behind Jarno Trulli's Toyota, who McLaren accused of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.

Officials initially gave Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after Hamilton and Ryan gave evidence he had not deliberately let the Italian through, and he had not been asked by the team to do so.But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this - and after reconvening in Malaysia at the end of last week, Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian race and Trulli reinstated to third place.

Whitmarsh, whose own job is under scrutiny, has admitted the team made serious errors in their handling of the situation.

He took over from Ron Dennis as team principal only on 1 March and has admitted he did consider resigning at the end of last week.

"It wouldn't be true to say that it (resignation) wasn't (on my mind) because at a time like this, you think about what you got involved with the sport for, and it wasn't for this sort of thing," he said in Malaysia.

"It hasn't been a great experience for me and it wasn't what I started out 20 years ago to experience."In the longer term, I can contemplate my future. It's not self-determining.

"It's for the shareholders of this team to take a view and it's ultimately up to them to decide what's best for this team.

"I'm not resigning this weekend. We've made commitments to look at how we arrived at this situation.

"We've got to learn from it and we've got to be better in future."

Whitmarsh defends Hamilton

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McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is convinced people will judge Lewis Hamilton to be "a great world champion."

Not even the torrential downpour that soaked the Sepang circuit and brought a premature halt to on Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix managed to wash away the stain of the latest furore to tarnish McLaren.

The FIA will on Monday receive a report from their observer and the stewards at the Australian Grand Prix into the storm that resulted in the suspension of McLaren's sporting director Dave Ryan and the besmirching of the name of reigning world champion Hamilton.

Just 19 months after the resolution of 'spy-gate' the World Motor Sport Council may now be summoned to look into 'lie-gate' and the web of deceit spun immediately after the Albert Park race.

The World Motor Sports Council has it within their power to impose sanctions on McLaren should the reports recommend further investigation into the matter.

As for Hamilton, his exclusion from the race, and subsequent act of contrition in front of the world's media on Friday, would appear to suggest he is off the hook.

But there remains a question mark over the long-term damage to his reputation and character, with some critics drawing comparisons to Michael Schumacher and his occasional win-at-all-costs tactics.

"Lewis has openly and bravely admitted what he has done wrong, and he has apologised," remarked Whitmarsh.

Pointedly, bearing in mind seven-times champion Schumacher failed to say sorry for his misdemeanours, Whitmarsh added: "I think that is in contrast with some other things that have happened in F1, so I think there is a difference."

Whitmarsh feels it is easy for people to point accusing fingers and forget drivers make errors under extreme pressure and considering the unforgiving spotlight that can focus upon them.

"At the heart of this process are a group of committed, dedicated, hard-working individuals who are fallible, and have made some mistakes in the heat of the moment," assessed Whitmarsh.

"They are damaging, but I think people understand that no-one is perfect.

"From that, it is for people to decide whether they forgive and balance the equation of the greatness of various people.

"I fully acknowledge and have a great passion for drivers, and that the public ultimately are interested in the driver achievements and their bravery.

"But all of the 20 drivers that take to the grid are extraordinary young men with huge bravery, who participate in a very dangerous, very exhausting, very challenging contest.

"Sometimes there is a sense, when we talk about F1, that we don't always appreciate that.

"Now I have been very fortunate to work with a lot of great, great drivers, and Lewis is very much one of those.

"People will ultimately judge him to be a great world champion, and hopefully a great multiple world champion, and they will recognise he is human."

Whilst Whitmarsh appreciates Hamilton is also his own man with his own thoughts, and therefore capable of acting independently rather than being led, he also knows McLaren failed the 24-year-old.

"I think Lewis has an enormous humanity," added Whitmarsh.

"He has put his hand up and said he has made some mistakes, and that he is deeply regretful of that.

"He was very brave in making the statements he did over the course of the weekend, and for our part we are trying to put our hand up and demonstrate our concern and humility over what happened.

"Lewis is still a young man, but he is a world champion and he has to be accountable and responsible for his actions.

"He is also an important ambassador to this sport, and I think the greatest shame is we at McLaren didn't lead him well enough to uphold the standards he intended to or wanted to."

Ryan made McLaren scapegoat

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Martin Whitmarsh has revealed that director Dave Ryan was suspended due to a "serious error of judgement."

Lewis Hamilton was this week disqualified from the race in Melbourne after it was determined that McLaren had deliberately misled stewards in their investigation into an incident towards the end of the grand prix.

As the senior member of the team representing McLaren at that hearing, Ryan has been held responsible.

"It is a very sad day for the team as we have suspended our long-standing sporting director Dave Ryan," said Whitmarsh.

"He has been with the team for 35 years. I've known him personally for 20 years and anyone who knows him knows that he is a dedicated, straightforward, hard-working individual.

"However, it has become clear during discussions with Davey last night into this morning, that during the stewards' meeting after the Australian Grand Prix, he was not entirely full and truthful in the answers that he gave to the stewards.

"Consequently we have had no alternative today other than to suspend him.

"It's something that the team and myself are deeply embarrassed about but also deeply regretful and I think for Davey, it's been an extremely shattering day for him."

Whitmarsh sought to rationalise the decisions made by the 55-year-old New Zealand native.

"Anyone who knows Davey knows that he didn't set out with any deliberate intention to mislead," said the McLaren chief.

"He went to the meeting with every intention of being clear and straightforward but during the course of that meeting - as we explored it more deeply in the last 24 hours - it was found that he was not as clear and comprehensive as he could have been.

"Dave was the senior member of the team there and has to take full responsibility for leading that process.

"This was something that was still unfolding until literally minutes before the first practice session (in Sepang) and I had to take an incredibly difficult personal decision because I have known Davey for 20 years."

Whitmarsh added: "He's shattered by what's happened but we have to take stock of what has happened.

"There were two people in with the stewards but Davey was the senior member as the sporting director of the team and as such, he had the responsibility to ensure that the stewards received a full and entirely truthful account of what happened.

"Davey made a serious error of judgement going into that stewards' meeting and he is paying the consequences for that.

"That's something that he regrets and is something that Lewis, I and the rest of the team deeply regret and it's something that we must put right."

While agreeing that Hamilton had not been entirely truthful himself during the hearing, Whitmarsh implied that the driver had followed the lead of Ryan when meeting with the stewards.

"I think that Lewis was not entirely truthful but we have spoken to Davey, who was the senior member of the team, and they went into a situation together and they were trying to deal with the situation and they got it wrong," he said.

"Davey, as the senior member of the team, was responsible for what happened and so I took the decision this morning."

Hamilton was elevated from fourth to third by the stewards due to Jarno Trulli being handed a 25-second penalty for passing the reigning world champion behind the safety car late in the race.

But in the light of further evidence, notably radio transmissions between Hamilton and the pit wall, and in an interview given by the 24-year-old soon after race, he and Ryan were discovered to have lied.

Hamilton and Ryan both claimed there was no instruction from the team to the 24-year-old asserting he must let Trulli by.

But radio traffic released by the FIA yesterday confirm he was twice ordered to do so.

Furthermore, in an interview immediately after the race and prior to the stewards' hearing, Hamilton admitted he was told by the team to let the Toyota driver through.

On Sunday, the stewards did not have the benefit of radio exchanges or those comments from Hamilton, instead acting solely on video footage.

In the intervening period, the acquired audio evidence forced them to take the action they did against Hamilton.

As the situation is a serious breach of the International Sporting Code, the FIA have it within their power to pursue the matter further.

If the case is referred to the World Motor Sport Council, they could choose to suspend or exclude Hamilton from the Formula One world championship.

A FIA spokesperson confirmed: "Given the seriousness of this matter, we cannot rule out further action at this stage."

I am not a liar, insists Hamilton

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World champion Lewis Hamilton insists he is not "dishonest" after being disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix for misleading race stewards.

He claims Dave Ryan, McLaren's sporting director, had instructed him to "withhold information".

"I'm not a liar or a dishonest person," said the Englishman, who added the affair had definitely been "the worst thing I've experienced in my life".

Ryan, who has been with McLaren for 35 years, has been suspended by the team.

McLaren and Hamilton, 24, were found by the FIA, motorsport's world governing body, to have given stewards "deliberately misleading" evidence in a post-race hearing on Sunday.

I just wanted to tell of what happened and I was misled. I want to say sorry to all my fans

Lewis Hamilton

That evidence led to race stewards handing Toyota's Jarno Trulli a 25-second penalty for passing Hamilton behind the safety car, demoting the Italian from third to 12th.

But after discovering that Hamilton and Ryan had provided inaccurate information about the incident, the FIA subsequently stripped Hamilton of his podium finish and reinstated Trulli to third.

Hamilton had told stewards he had not been told to allow Trulli to pass him when the opposite was true, a fact borne out by team radio transmissions.

"I could not tell you how sorry I am for the embarrassment," Hamilton, the youngest driver to become world champion, told a news conference after his opening practice sessions in Sepang on Friday.

"I sincerely apologise to the race stewards for wasting their time and making them look silly.

"When I went into the meeting, I had no intention (to lie). I just wanted to tell my story and see what happened. I was misled and that's just how it went.

"I want to say sorry to all my fans. I am not a liar or a dishonest person, I am a team player. If the team ask me to do something, I generally do it.

"But I felt awkward and uncomfortable.

"This is not an easy thing to do, to step back and realise I was in the wrong. But I was in the wrong, I was misled."

The fallout for McLaren has been significant, with senior official Ryan, who accompanied Hamilton to both hearings with race stewards on Sunday in Melbourne, sent home from practice in Malaysia on Friday.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh said Ryan had not been "entirely full and truthful with the answers he gave" to the stewards and had left the team with "no alternative but to suspend him".

Whitmarsh added: "He did not set out with a deliberate intention to mislead, but during the course of the meeting he was not as clear as he should have been.

"He made a very serious error of judgement and is paying the consequences for that."

Whitmarsh said it was a "very sad day" for McLaren, adding: "It is a point of deep regret. For Davey, it's been a shattering day."

A contrite Whitmarsh also apologised to the FIA for the problems McLaren had caused.

"In my 20-odd years working for McLaren, I doubt if I've met a more dedicated individual than Davey," said Whitmarsh.

"He's been an integral part of McLaren since 1974 and has played a crucial role in the team's many world championship successes."

We are not competitive - McLaren

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McLaren say they face a race against time to match the pace of their rivals ahead of the opening Grand Prix of the 2009 Formula One season on 29 March.

World champion Lewis Hamilton's car has performed poorly in pre-season testing.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh said: "We are working hard to resolve a performance shortfall."

Norbert Haug, engine partner Mercedes' motorsport boss, added: "We are definitely not fast enough and not competitive enough to aim for wins."

During this week's test in Barcelona, Hamilton and his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen were well adrift of rivals Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota and the cars of the new Brawn team, who have only been officially in existence for a week. Hamilton finished bottom of the timesheets on Wednesday after damaging his car's front wing and nose in a crash and was almost two seconds slower than Rubens Barrichello's fastest time for Brawn GP on Thursday.

When asked if the MP4-24 was fast enough, Whitmarsh conceded: "Not at the moment - and certainly not by our team's extremely high standards.

"Next week we will be testing at Jerez [in Spain], which many of our rivals will not be.

"We aim to continue to develop the car, and the result should be measurable on the stopwatch.

"Will MP4-24 be as quick as we want it to be by 29 March? Perhaps not.

"Will it be quicker than it has been this week at the Barcelona test? Yes."

McLaren face hard work - Hamilton

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Lewis Hamilton admits McLaren have a great deal of work to do if they are to be ready for the Australian Grand Prix.

The reigning Formula One world champion is currently testing McLaren's new MP4-24 in Spain, ahead of the season-opening race in Melbourne on 29 March.

"I haven't arrived here thinking I'm world champion, I've arrived thinking I've got a great team I need to push as hard as I can," said the 24-year-old.

"We've got a lot of work to do to make sure we're ready for Australia."

Hamilton admitted in January he was facing a race against time to get to grips with the technical changes Formula One will embrace this season. McLaren is one of the teams using kinetic energy recovery systems (kers) - one of the many changes that are being introduced for 2009 - in its two cars.

Hamilton and former world champions Fernando Alonso of Renault and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen were among those testing on Wednesday, the fourth of five development days.

Alonso headed the standings on a windy day, clocking one minute 19.945 seconds - the third best time of the week and 1.357secs quicker than Hamilton, who could only finish seventh of eight overall on his return to the track.

"I'm very happy with the result from this test as we had two trouble-free days, a very consistent car and the work we have done has been very useful," said Alonso.

Raikkonen was second quickest, just over three tenths of a second down, followed by Nick Heidfeld for BMW Sauber and Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

Red Bull's Mark Webber and the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima also finished ahead of Hamilton, who only managed 70 laps.

On Sunday, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel outpaced last year's championship runner-up Felipe Massa with his fastest lap of one minute 19.055 seconds, nearly 1.3 seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver's best effort.

Massa was followed by Toyota test driver Kumui Kobayashi, Williams' Nico Rosberg and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.

"Just from looking at the times it seems like they (Toyota) are doing quite a good job but I think a lot of the teams are doing quite good jobs," said Hamilton.

"The Renault doesn't look bad, the BMW doesn't look bad, so there's quite a lot of teams looking pretty impressive at the moment.

"This is my first day of McLaren and Ferrari being at the same track but for me it looks very similar to every other year. Everyone's times are looking good - some consistent, some not."

Hamilton added that the MP4-24 felt pretty similar to last year's car.

"We have less down force and the tyres have slightly different characteristics but otherwise it's all very similar, he said.

Heikki Kovalainen, Hamilton's team-mate, said he was "99% confident" McLaren would be using kers in Melbourne.

The system provides drivers with a short burst of power on each lap from energy stored under braking.

Despite teething problems, McLaren appear in an advanced stage of development compared to a number of their rivals who have made it clear they will not be using kers at the Albert Park circuit.

"Hopefully it should be an advantage for us. Certainly it's going to potentially give you a big benefit from the start to the first corner," said Kovalainen.

"My feeling comes from how well we're operating it at the track, and that's why I'm 99% confident we should be using it.

"We are now hitting a stage where we can run it all day, reliably, without any problems, at the maximum power. So unless something goes dramatically wrong, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't run it.

"Hopefully other people don't get it and we get it, but there are other good teams around and I wouldn't under-estimate anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the other teams had it as well."

Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault are also hoping to use kers in Melbourne.

De la Rosa unhappy with test ban

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McLaren's Formula One test driver Pedro De la Rosa says the ban on in-season testing could prove to be dangerous.

New measures were brought in by the FIA, the sport's governing body, as part of cost-cutting measures for F1.

With Barcelona hosting the last testing session ahead of the season-opener in Australia on 29 March, De la Rosa is worried if reserve drivers are needed.

"We could be a problem, with regard to safety, if we haven't driven enough," he said after testing in Jerez, Spain.

Teams are currently preparing for the new season, which opens with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne at the end of March. The FIA opted for the new ban in December last year and it could lead to F1 team's test drivers becoming redundant for the rest of the year.

The 38-year-old Spaniard added: "I'm hoping I can test again in the next few weeks because to me it's very important to arrive in Melbourne with as many miles as possible.

"Otherwise, the situation for a reserve driver is ridiculous.

"Arriving in Melbourne with very little mileage done, or not having a single day of testing during the season, makes the test driver rusty in case we have to climb into the car."

F1 mourns ex-McLaren boss Mayer

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Former McLaren boss Teddy Mayer, who guided James Hunt to his world Formula One championship win in 1976, has died.

Mayer took over as team head when founder Bruce McLaren died in 1970.

The American, who was 73, also helped Brazil's Emerson Fittipaldi to the title in 1974, and the team to the constructors' crown in the same season.

"Teddy was one of motor racing's few truly great men," said Ron Dennis, who succeeded Mayer as McLaren team principal in 1982.

"He was part of the very small team of talented enthusiasts who, alongside Bruce McLaren, founded Bruce McLaren motor racing.

"The origins of our many and ongoing successes are with Bruce and Teddy."

Mayer briefly made a return to Formula One with the Haas Lola team in 1985 and 1986 before working with Indycar racing team Penske in the US.

McLaren & Ferrari in united front

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Former bitter rivals McLaren and Ferrari are now "working extremely closely together" as teams seek to show Formula One's rulers a united front.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis confirmed their growing off-track ties on Thursday and said the result has proved "profound".

Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni also spent the day at McLaren's Woking factory meeting Dennis and other staff.

"If you had told me a year ago that I would be doing this I would not have believed you," he said.

Reigning constructors champions Ferrari and McLaren have a chequered recent history.

The English team was fined a record $100m (£70m) in 2007 and stripped of all their constructors' points for their involvement in a spying controversy over leaked Ferrari technical data in their possession.

Ferrari also started legal action against their rivals, with Dennis and other executives questioned by Italian police, though the action was later dropped after a McLaren apology.

But the team's top personnel, and the wider climate in which they operate, has since changed significantly.

With the urgent need for cost cutting becoming apparent, the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) was set up in July to represent teams in talks with with the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) and commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Jean Todt also handed over as Ferrari boss to Stefano Domenicali while Dennis is due to step down as McLaren principal on 1 March to make way for Martin Whitmarsh.

Fota are headed by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who has criticised Ecclestone's running of the sport.

With FIA president Max Mosley stressing that he is keen to see a significant shake-up in the sport towards cheaper operating costs and, potentially, more standardised engines, Fota is determined to provide a strong voice for the interests of all F1 teams.

While Fota have agreed significant savings with the FIA for this season and beyond, they want to secure a greater share of the sport's commercial revenues than the 50% they currently receive.

Montezemolo recently described Dennis as "a first-class person from a first-class team" and said the sport needed great competition on the track and great unity off it.

And Dennis, who has said he will soon devote more of his time to Fota activities, told the official F1 website: "The result of our co-operation, supported by all the other teams, has already been profound.

"Fota has already achieved great things, and it will achieve even greater things in the weeks, months and years to come.

"We're not complacent; we're not reluctant to embrace radical change; we're not hidebound by on-track rivalries.

"Working together for the good of the future of F1, we'll continue to devise powerful strategies and innovations intended to improve our sport so as to make it more affordable, more environmentally friendly and more appealing to spectators and TV viewers."

Hamilton faces tight test regime

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World champion Lewis Hamilton is facing a truncated testing schedule in getting to grips with the technical changes Formula One will embrace this season.

McLaren is one of the teams that is using kinetic energy recovery systems - one of the many changes that are being introduced for 2009 - in its two cars.

"I've seven days to master the car, where normally I would have had 20 days," Hamilton, 24, told BBC Sport.

"It's a completely new package for us all - it's going to be interesting."

Kers harnesses energy that would have been lost during braking and allows the driver to reapply it during acceleration.

"We've a huge challenge ahead of us with Kers - with the reliability of that, the reliability of the car and finding the new set-up," said Hamilton, who got his first taste of McLaren's 2009 car when he completed 81 laps in testing in Portugal on Wednesday.

Hamilton said McLaren would definitely be using the system - other teams have yet to decide whether to employ it or not from the start of the season.

The 24-year-old decided to take more time off at the end of last season after he became the youngest world champion in Formula One history after a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix.

His team-mate Heikki Kovalainen is still waiting to try out his new McLaren after bad weather wiped out the final day of testing in southern Portugal on Thursday.

The Finn had been due to drive the MP4-24 at the Algarve circuit, but rain and fog grounded the medical helicopter and forced organisers to close the circuit for safety reasons.

McLaren's next test is at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on 10 February, with the F1 season starting in Australia on 29 March.

Driving for the first time since winning the F1 title in dramatic fashion at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton was third fastest overall after a minor engine problem.

"It was good to be back working with the team. It felt like I'd hardly been away because it was easy to slip back into the routine," said Hamilton.

"This first test was all about just getting used to the new car and the new regulations and about giving my feedback to the engineers - it wasn't about setting a fast time.

"I'm pleased to report that the car feels good, we've made lots of progress over the winter and I'm looking forward to developing the car ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

"It's going to be an extremely busy winter. I've only been in the car for one day and our usual job list for the weeks ahead is already enormous.