Whitmarsh not expecting pit penalty

The pair ran side by side into and out of the pitlane when they came in for slicks early in the Shanghai race. McLaren released Hamilton at virtually the same time as Vettel was allowed out by Red Bull, and with the McLaren getting a little wheelspin, they ended up wheel to wheel in the pits again.

But when asked by the BBC if he expected McLaren to be penalised for releasing Hamilton in an unsafe manner, Whitmarsh replied: "I don't think so, I think in these conditions, both drivers release at the same time, I think it was slippery... I think we will be okay. Who knows."

McLaren eventually took a one-two finish with Jenson Button and Hamilton. Whitmarsh said the pair had been allowed to go head to head for victory right up to the end, with Button trying to control the race from the front after passing early leader Nico Rosberg, and Hamilton recovering from his additional change of tyres.

"Fantastic job by both drivers, they obviously had different strategies, but they ran the race just great," he said.

"It was tense, those last laps, but they were racing, they were going for it. They were quicker than everyone else in those conditions. We took that as our view of how to go racing, but boy did it make a long race for us.

"Lewis had a fantastic race, again so many overtaking moves. Jenson was a little bit lighter on his tyres. We played the right strategy for both cars."