Contrary to recent speculation, McLaren does not yet have a Mercedes-style new F-duct on its dominant 2012 car.
When boss Martin Whitmarsh said in Melbourne that he would not be joining a theoretical protest against the Mercedes innovation, many suggested it was because the MP4-27 is already hiding something similar.

Not yet, although the FIA did take a long look at the silver car in Melbourne.

“If they were looking for an F-duct, we don’t have one,” Whitmarsh smiled to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

In fact, the scrutineers were checking and then re-checking the height of the MP4-27′s front wing.

But the F-duct might be coming.

“All the teams are going to be trying to extract the maximum within the permitted regulations,” confirmed managing director Jonathan Neale in a media teleconference this week.

But he also revealed that McLaren doesn’t yet “understand well enough” how the Mercedes system works.

Melbourne winner Jenson Button and his teammate Lewis Hamilton will therefore race a basically unchanged McLaren this weekend in Malaysia.

But Hamilton’s downbeat mood has been picked up with the news that he was beaten by Button from pole last Sunday due to a minor clutch issue.

“It wasn’t my fault,” said the Briton, “but we now understand and know how to improve in the future.”

As for their differing race performances, Hamilton insists he now understands “the reasons” for Melbourne “and it puts me in a really positive frame of mind” ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian grand prix.

Jonathan Neale talks about the rumors in Formula 1 and the need to maintain the issue of cost intensive cooperation

As much as the racing stables of Formula 1 fight on the track, so intense, the teams work together off of it. Together, it is important to shape the future of the championship so that the sport is on solid footing in the long term. Even so, the team Association (FOTA) has been launched to bring as measures to cap costs at the start.

Recently, however, came more and more rumors saying that some teams – Red Bull was called back and again – no longer the resource restriction agreement (RRA) would correspond. Of them wants to Jonathan Neale, managing director at McLaren team, but know nothing. “This day has been much speculation,” the Briton said in a telephone conference before the South Korea-racing event.

The fact was that one could hardly make an assessment as an outsider. “None of us knows to say,” Neale confirmed. It is neither a part of that team still have an insight into the business practices or in the businesses of another race team. “There will always hold a certain tension between the teams,” says Neale.

“In Formula 1, has been around for decades been a certain mistrust and rumors among the teams I think that’s part of the sport, the reality is:.. Overall, the formula must hold together one,” says the McLaren team official. The FOTA bar in this respect, really good work, because it succeeds in this way, “to cap costs in many areas.”

“And, although everyone wants the best for his team,” noted Neale. “The current generation of team leaders is definitely more than to be able to see both the big picture as well as their own interests to represent.” This is good sign for 2014 and beyond, says Neale, of the new Formula 1 rules seen as “ambitious and exciting challenge.”

“It will lead to pressure situations. There are certain parties who want to bring the Formula 1 teams must deal. We are getting ready while preparing to enter the next round of negotiations on the market. As part of this will certainly be some tensions arise, “says Neale. Even though this was perfectly normal in the premier class

Sunday in Hungary proved McLaren does not use team orders, according to Jenson Button.

Prior to winning his 200th grand prix, the 31-year-old engaged in a wheel-to-wheel, place-swapping duel with his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Button said a few days ago that McLaren “does not have team orders”.

“Other teams will use them, but not us,” he added, apparently referring to Red Bull’s order that Mark Webber hold position behind Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone.

After Sunday’s race, Button said it was no surprise the McLaren pitwall kept out of the battle.

“No, I wasn’t surprised they let us fight,” he said. “We wouldn’t have listened anyway. If they had said ‘back off and sit behind your teammate’, it wouldn’t have happened.”

McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale confirmed the desire to sometimes protect a good team result.

But he insisted: “You have to let them go sometimes. We can get it wrong but when you have a race like that, you know you are right.”

McLaren on Wednesday would not confirm reports its F-duct innovation will be removed from the MP4-25 ahead of the forthcoming Italian grand prix.

It was reported that, because the concept is designed to boost straight-line speed by shedding rear wing drag on the straights, it will be inefficient at Monza due to the minimal downforce configuration of the cars there.

“I read that on Monday morning and there were a few of us raising our eyebrows,” McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale told reporters during a Vodafone teleconference.

“We have the option to either run it or not. I think at the moment we are just looking at all the options. It is incorrect to assume we can make any decisions (yet) as to whether we are (going to use the F-duct at Monza) or not,” he added.

Neale said a final decision will be made after studying data from this weekend’s Spa-Francorchamps event.

He also revealed that, after Red Bull dominated in Hungary amid the flexible wing saga, McLaren is still no closer to understanding the phenomena at the front of the RB6.

In a team preview, McLaren said it is “optimistic the bodywork rules clarification will close the gap” at Spa this weekend.

But Neale said on Wednesday: “I’ve read the trade magazines, I’ve seen the footage. We can’t explain, at McLaren, why the (flexing) cars operate in the way that they do.”

Jul.7 (GMM) McLaren has urged formula one against making a knee-jerk reaction to the safety car rules.

Although Ferrari cried foul after Lewis Hamilton’s drive-through penalty in Valencia – where multiple drivers were also penalised for transgressions – Mark Webber said this week that Red Bull saw the events of the race as “normal”.

And although the Sporting Working Group is looking at the rules as a response to the Ferrari-powered controversy, McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale said on Wednesday: “I would be wary of knee-jerking.

“There wasn’t a lot wrong with last weekend (Valencia) and I don’t think we should be doing instant rule-making,” he told reporters during a teleconference.

Meanwhile, after Williams said it will test a blown rear exhaust for its car early this weekend, Neale confirmed that a similar approach will be taken by McLaren at Silverstone.

“If the drivers think it’s good it will stay on and we’ll run it,” he said, after the upgrade for the MP4-25 was tested during a straightline session.

“If not, we’ll continue to develop it.”

Neale also backed Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s view that the effect of the exhaust concept has been overstated.

“I would tend to agree that it’s not a case of bolt on your blown diffuser and then blow everybody into the weeds,” he said.

The reaction has been mixed since F1 announced it is heading to Austin, Texas, for 10 consecutive United States grands prix beginning in 2012.

Britain’s Sun newspaper quoted Williams chief executive Adam Parr as saying: “We are a global sport and not having a race in America has been a big hole in the calendar. Our partners will be thrilled.”

But the announcement was short on detail, including where in the Texan capital the venue will be built, and why Austin can succeed where the likes of Donington failed.

McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale said in a teleconference on Wednesday: “I’d say it is fantastic news if it turns out to be true and if we can make it happen.”

One sceptic is Kevin Eason, correspondent for London’s The Times.

“This is one old formula one dog who was once bitten by Donington and is twice shy.”

And a blogger at former US GP host city Indianapolis’ Indy Star newspaper read: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The German news agency SID said the news had triggered “joy and doubt”.

Even the major Austin daily American-Statesman found the surprise news, which came hot on the heels of claims New York was closing on a deal, hard to swallow.

“Monte Carlo. Istanbul. Barcelona. Montreal. Austin? Maybe,” read a report.

The report added that “significant details” are yet to come, including the cost, the source of the funding, “and why would an Austin project succeed where others haven’t?”

The fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted F1 between 2000 and 2007, and spokesman Fred Nation said: “Some years we had the largest crowds of the year for formula one.

“From a spectator point of view, it was a success. At the end of the day, we could not make a business deal that made sense to us.”

The promoter of Austin’s F1 race is Tavo Hellmund, whose company Full Throttle Productions is largely unknown outside of Austin, and he admitted that land has not been bought but three sites are being considered.

A local race venue owner thinks Hellmund’s task is a huge one.

“I can tell you this facility cost about $250 million,” said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, referring to the venue used for NASCAR races.

“(An F1 track) would exceed that,” he added.