F1: McLaren will go flat out

McLaren's managing director has vowed the team will pull out all the stops in their pursuit of a performance advantage over their rivals at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

Jonathan Neale says the Woking-based team are running at the "lean edge" of development as they bid to turn around a slump in results relative to Ferrari and Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have slipped behind in the title race in the past few weeks, partly due to costly failures to finish races but also owing to a drop-off in ultimate pace. New upgrades will bolster McLaren's hopes this weekend, and Neale believes the time has come for the team to cast aside caution in their battle for both the drivers' and constructors' titles.

"We're throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it," Neale told a McLaren teleconference. "If we can pull a modification forwards, even if we've only got limited components, I'd rather have the drivers have that fraction of a second in lap time.

"I hope all the upgrades make a big difference, we're taking a reasonable size package to Japan, we've got a front wing upgrade and a new rear wing, and there are some aerodynamic details."

Several upgrades were added to the MP4-25 at the last round in Singapore, and Neale revealed that the latest parts would be evaluated tomorrow in the practice.