Lewis Hamilton has hit back at claims the McLaren MP4-26 is a ‘mess’ of a car – following comments from former driver, and now BBC commentator, Martin Brundle.
The 51-year-old claims the McLaren has a ‘fundamental issue’ whilst former team owner Eddie Jordan agreed, going as far as to say they needed a ‘brand new car.’
“[It] didn’t turn in. It couldn’t get the power down. Lewis [Hamilton] looked absolutely at sea in the thing. Clearly they have a fundamental issue,” said Brundle.
Hamilton disagrees, though he did admit it wasn’t quick enough to challenge for the title. Yet.
“I wouldn’t agree with what he says. Everyone is going to have opinions about it. They don’t drive it so they don’t know exactly how it is,” he is quoted as saying by the Guardian.
“The car feels better than last year’s car. They are very similar to drive in some ways. It is maybe not as good in some ways because we have lost downforce. I think it is something that we can work on. It isn’t as fast as others are. But two years ago we were two or three seconds off the pace and now we are maybe a second.
“Do I believe I have a car to win the world championship at the moment? I don’t. But that doesn’t mean it won’t become a world championship winning car,” he added.
