McLaren explains tyre problems
A depressing prospect for those looking ahead to the tight Hungarian Grand Prix predicted two days ago by Jenson Button, is the 10th and 12th starting positions of Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard on the Budapest grid

McLaren is the only Michelin team on the harder 'option' tyre and was caught out by cooler than expected qualifying conditions. Having admitted to making the wrong decision, the team has explained how it happened.
In Friday's free practice, Raikkonen finished the day with the quickest time, achieved on the harder tyre, and McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh said: "Perhaps we were over-confident from the result we had on Friday. Ferrari clearly has a strong race tyre here and we were mindful of ensuring that we had too. Perhaps because of that, we believed we had enough performance to use the harder tyre."
David Coulthard, meanwhile, said of his Friday use of the softer tyre, "There were some internal blisters which influenced our decision - but that in itself is not unusual. Quite often you'll see some small internal blisters on the option tyre and you take a calculated guess on how the track will evolve and what you'll expect on race day. But in this instance, because Kimi was such a step quicker (on the harder tyre) that largely dictated the route we went down."
One of the problems at Budapest is the amount of dust, with the performance equation influenced even more strongly by the track cleaning up and rubbering in as the day progresses. It seems as if McLaren did not attribute enough of Raikkonen's Friday speed simply to that.
"We just hope it's going to be a bit hotter in the race," Whitmarsh added.
Latest news
Daytona 24, Hour 18: Cadillac in command with six hours to go
Chip Ganassi held a commanding net lead in the Daytona 24 Hours as dawn broke, while Meyer Shank Racing recovered to second to set up a Cadillac vs Acura battle.
Westbrook: Tyre strategy as crucial as reliability in Daytona 24 Hours closing stages
Cadillac Racing’s Richard Westbrook says tyre strategy in the closing hours of the Daytona 24 Hours could prove as crucial as reliability in deciding the overall winner.
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Daytona 24, Hour 15: Porsche takes lead amid trouble for MSR Acura
Porsche Penske Motorsport moved to the front of the Daytona 24 Hours in the 15th hour after the erstwhile-leading Meyer Shank Racing Acura developed an oil leak issue.
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.