Hamilton expects hard road ahead for McLaren

LEWIS Hamilton is facing up to the stark reality of a season he expects will be "a steep, very tough challenge". The enormity of McLaren's problems have hit home, and although they had prepared the groundwork a month ago by announcing they were nowhere near quick enough, what transpired in Melbourne yesterday was still a shock.

In his 105 practice sessions since arriving in Formula 1 with a bang, Hamilton has only once previously finished lower than he did around Melbourne's Albert Park yesterday, when he finished 16th and 18th at the end of the two 90-minute sessions.

The aerodynamic issues that dogged the cars during winter testing have yet to be resolved, although the work being put in to do so cannot be faulted. For now, it is a question of soldiering on and hoping for the best.

"Being at the back is tough for anyone," said Hamilton, who ended the day 1.8 seconds down on Williams' Nico Rosberg. "But we've a lot of experience as a team, and personally I've a lot of experience of running at the back in other categories, so it's not completely new to me.

"We're clearly not in the place where we would love to be, but we're working extremely hard, as hard as we can. We've a steep, very tough challenge ahead of us, but if anyone can do it, I believe my team can. We've just got to remain positive and keep pushing."

At one point yesterday, Hamilton was heard over the team radio complaining about his car "bottoming out" and being "difficult to drive", but remarkably the McLaren was quicker than its rivals along the straight by two to three kilometres per hour.

Explaining his difficulties, Hamilton added: "In general it is a good car, other than a general lack of grip pretty much everywhere. It is not particularly one area of the track, it's everywhere.

"We cannot carry the speeds through the corners that we would like. It (the problem] is predominantly aero. We have made steps forward with it, and for sure the gap to the others is nowhere near as big as it was in Barcelona in testing, but we still have a long way to go."

For new team principal Martin Whitmarsh, this is hardly an ideal start to his reign after taking over from Ron Dennis on 1 March. Whitmarsh noted: "We arrived in Australia fully aware we'd be facing a tough start to the season. Although we've made good progress recently, we are well aware we still have a lot of work to do."

Meanwhile, Jenson Button could not care less what his critics say but he is concerned his fans might be taken in by their invective. Many believe Button is fortunate to be competing in a sport where he is still paid millions, despite a recent pay cut, and John Surtees, the Englishman who is the only man to have won world titles on two and four wheels, pulled no punches in his condemnation of the 29-year-old Briton.

"I wouldn't have given him the drive," said Surtees. "If you don't give 100 per cent even when the car is not good, you have to be sacked. You can't be good just when you have a good car."

Button thinks the accusation unfair, particularly as for all but one season of his nine years in Formula 1 he has been driving a sub-par machine.

Button has been waiting for a drive that will prove he has the talent witnessed back in 2000 when he was given his bow by Williams, and hopes he can give his supporters plenty to shout about this season.

"I really don't care what the critics say because they really don't know the situation," countered Button. "If people are making those comments they obviously don't know what goes on within Formula One these days.

"They can say what they want, for whatever reason. I don't know what they are trying to do. All I care about is that I am with the team here and we have built something that is good. Whatever people say, positive or negative, I'll go out there and do the best job I can.

"More importantly for me, I just hope the fans see the situation and they don't read everything and every comment someone says. They need to see the bigger picture and realise that one person's comment is not it."

The bigger picture this season is that Button would appear to be a genuine title contender after two recent weeks of testing in which the Brawn outfit stunned the sport. But despite yesterday's practice times in which he finished fifth overall, the true picture will not become clear until after qualifying today.

"It feels good to be a championship contender," smiled Button. "It's amazing that after three days of driving an F1 car in winter testing, people immediately think, 'Wow! Look at that. Where's that come from?' It's always been there, but I've just not had anything near the equipment I deserve and the whole team deserves.

"We have a car now that is competitive, and I've just got to make sure it stays competitive, and we keep improving it throughout the year. That is always the key to fighting for a world championship, not that we ever have."

Formula One seems on the brink of a new order.

Behind Rosberg's Williams in the second of yesterday's two practice sessions were Rubens Barrichello in his Brawn and Toyota's Jarno Trulli. Behind Button were the Toyota of Timo Glock and Williams of Kazuki Nakajima, with only Red Bull's Mark Webber breaking the monopoly.