Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

MotoGP Italian GP: Bezzecchi takes emotional home win for Aprilia

MotoGP
Italian GP
MotoGP Italian GP: Bezzecchi takes emotional home win for Aprilia

Why there are reasons for optimism as the 2026 club racing season finds its feet

Feature
National
Why there are reasons for optimism as the 2026 club racing season finds its feet

What Rally Japan win could mean for Evans in WRC title fight

WRC
Rally Japan
What Rally Japan win could mean for Evans in WRC title fight

Great Debate: What should the next F1 ruleset look like?

Feature
Formula 1
Great Debate: What should the next F1 ruleset look like?

How Aston Martin is navigating its issues, as Honda plots ADUO updates

Feature
Formula 1
Canadian GP
How Aston Martin is navigating its issues, as Honda plots ADUO updates

WRC Japan: Evans claims second win of 2026 to increase championship lead

WRC
Rally Japan
WRC Japan: Evans claims second win of 2026 to increase championship lead

‘Being able to write my sprint notes by hand was a good sign’ says Marquez

MotoGP
Italian GP
‘Being able to write my sprint notes by hand was a good sign’ says Marquez

Live: MotoGP Italian Grand Prix as it happens

MotoGP
Italian GP
Live: MotoGP Italian Grand Prix as it happens

McLaren wants more wins this year

McLaren thinks its Hungarian Grand Prix triumph will not be a one-off, at it sets its sights on adding more victories to its tally this year following Lewis Hamilton's victory

The reigning world champion ended Brawn GP and Red Bull Racing's stranglehold on wins with a brilliant performance at the Hungaroring on Sunday, as he made the most of improvements to his car and the benefit of KERS.

With more updates planned for the next race in Valencia next month, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says the focus is on delivering even more success now.

"We want to win some more races this year," explained Whitmarsh, who enjoyed his first victory in the role of team boss. "It's a fantastic feeling for me personally.

"I've been in this situation and on the podium before - I was there for Lewis's first ever win - but this was a special one. It was nerve-racking, the last half of that race. The team, Lewis and everyone here needed it, but no-one needed this win more than me. So it was great."

Whitmarsh had been confident heading into the weekend that Hungary would provide a good opportunity for McLaren to end its victory drought - and he took great pleasure that some of his rivals doubted the team's ability to do it.

"I'm sure more than a few people were sniggering down their sleeves at it, but we believed it," he said. "I think we had more than enough pace in the bag to control and dominate this race."

Although McLaren's return to form comes too late in the season to get Hamilton back into world championship contention, Whitmarsh thinks that the fact the team is free from worrying about points could help its quest for more wins.

"The championship fight is an exciting one, and hopefully we can play a part in that and take some victories along the way while they are concentrating on trying to score points to protect championship leads or otherwise," he said.

"In Hungary we were ahead of everyone. I think we will be competitive in Valencia, we've got an upgrade package there and we'll keep pushing."

He added: "This result was very, very rewarding, and really just down to fantastic team work. This team has been at war on a few issues this year, but I think it has come through that and we now want to win some more races."

Previous article Q & A with Jenson Button
Next article Hamilton: More to come from McLaren

Top Comments

Latest news