Lewis Hamilton has a cunning plan to keep up with the Red Bulls in Sunday's British GP: "I'm gonna get a rope, tie it on and tag along".
Once again, the two Bulls were in a class of their own during qualifying, but all is not yet lost for Hamilton - even if he doesn't manage to secure a tow.
Though team-mate Jenson Button could only manage 14th, Hamilton wrestled his McLaren into fourth and, as he noted afterward, "our reliability is better than theirs so there's still hope."
Yet unless the Bulls are waylaid by technical gremlins, it is difficult to see how Hamilton, or any other driver, can catch them.
"I'm happy as pie with fourth because we are clearly a chunk off then. They are flat through turn one and I just can't."
He added: "I honestly feel it was the best lap I've done since I've been in Formula One.
"We've struggled all weekend. I've never run wide or gone off at a track so many times through Friday practice and this morning.
"But I've just remained optimistic all weekend, and as to where it has come from, I honestly think it has come from the fans.
"The optimism I've had is probably a lot more than I've ever had before, and I've carried that with me.
"Bit by bit I've adjusted the car, and although it wasn't perfect, I really strangled its neck and pulled out every little bit.
"I'm proud of the car. When I came in I was like 'well done, well done'."
Asked if he had ever seen a car with such a level of grip as the Bulls, Hamilton admitted: "Never".
The McLaren team had hoped that the introduction of a 'blown diffuser' would result in them catching the Bulls but, after experiencing problems with the system in Friday practice, the decision was taken in the early hours of Saturday morning to remove it.
However, Hamilton has revealed he did not agree the switch back to McLaren's standard design.
"We took it off but I still wanted to try it," he confirmed.
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