Martin Whitmarsh has admitted McLaren’s chief race engineer, Phil Prew, got it wrong when he gave Hamilton incorrect information over the radio in Turkey.
In the closing stages of the race, Hamilton and Jenson Button were both informed to save fuel, Hamilton subsequently slowed more than Button, giving the 2009 world champion a chance to close the gap and pass.
After the race, it became clear that Prew had told Hamilton that Button wouldn’t pass if he slowed.
Whitmarsh though, said in a McLaren phone-in, that Prew’s opinion that Button wouldn’t pass was incorrect.
“Phil gave his opinion, as it turned out his opinion was wrong. It’s as simple as that,” said Whitmarsh.
“We were consuming more fuel than we needed to so we had to find ways to save fuel,” he explained.
“Both of our racing drivers want to win and they were being told to look after fuel but as a consequence of that, Phil had the opinion that Jenson wouldn’t overtake. Clearly that opinion was probably a wrong one.”
