Having always held Norbert Haug in high esteem, I think Norbert is a realistic guy and while he certainly tows the company line, it’s refreshing to see a professional in F1 offer a clear assessment on their situation. In NASCAR it is rare to find a driver or team boss who would say that “the car was a complete pig today”. While Norbert is far shy from proclaiming the McLaren a pig, he does suggest that they have work to do and have not been the benchmark in 2008 yet.
Ferrari do look to be a favorite at Turkey and Lewis is accurate that qualifying will be crucial if McLaren seek to do well here. There are always opportunities for mechanical failure etc, but being realistic is important. Especially when your fight may not be passing Ferrari but keeping BMW behind you.
It is equally refreshing to see someone from the McLaren camp not take the stuffing out of Ferrari. Now if Luca will follow suit, we may just have a story with a redemptive ending…ok, I’m not thinking clearly. sorry.
