Formula One news

'I didn't feel any improvement' - Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton was disappointed to witness no changes in McLaren's performance as the team introduced aerodynamic upgrades in Barcelona. A pair of fourteenth places was the best the team could manage from each session as both Hamilton and team-mate Heikki Kovalainen struggled to make an impression.

"We're still a long way away and I didn't feel any improvement," said the World Champion after the second session, having made use of front wing modifications as well as rotating wheel hubs and a new floor on the Mercedes-powered MP4-24. "I think it's going to be hard work to get into Q3 tomorrow. We're pushing but unfortunately the upgrades we tried didn't work for me and the car doesn't feel like it's improved; we lose a lot of time in Turns 3 and 9 because we can't carry the speed through the high-speed corners like other teams, but we'll battle our way through."

"Inevitably, when you come to a circuit with a big package of modifications that need assessing in a very short period of time, you get some successes and some failures," continued team principal Martin Whitmarsh. "Coming into this weekend, we've been realistic and disciplined; we always knew this would be a challenging circuit, but we've gathered a lot of data that will enable us to study our performance overnight and enhance the car for tomorrow. Are we as quick as we want to be? No. Do we believe we can get through into Q3 tomorrow? Yes, we do."

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