Michael hails pit stops and pole

McLaren have acknowledged that a combination of starting from pole and speedy pit stops were key to its’ success in Sunday’s Hungarian GP…

McLaren have acknowledged that a combination of starting from pole and speedy pit stops were key to its’ success in Sunday’s Hungarian GP.

Despite constant pressure from Lotus duo, Finn Kimi Raikkonen and Frenchman Romain Grosjean, Briton Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish at the Hungaroring securing his and the British team’s first win since the Canadian Grand Prix.

McLaren’s sporting director Sam Michael admitted Lotus had the faster cars and that a combination of starting from pole and well-executed pit stops were vital for Hamilton to hold his position.

“Lotus were definitely on us for the whole race,” he said, “I think they really have a good race car and we basically only beat them because of qualifying and the fact that we beat them in the pits.

“If they had qualified well and qualified in front of us then, because it is difficult to overtake here, I think you would really struggle to beat them.”

Michael acknowledged Lotus’ excellent tyre degredation characteristics and credited Hamilton, who won by just a second, for keeping second-placed Raikkonen at bay until the chequered flag.

“We felt they would always go long because that is where their advantage is,” he said.

“They probably knew that we could beat them in the pits, so it worked well. But definitely we thought they would be pretty hard work in the last stint, and Lewis drove very well to keep Kimi off him.”