McLaren has made changes to its pit crew and processes, following recurring problems at recent grands prix.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh launched a full internal investigation after Bahrain, where problems with the fitting of wheels during crucial stops resurfaced.

“We have to try and make sure we pick up on them (the problems) for the next race because we can’t afford to lose points like we did,” said Lewis Hamilton.

One wheel-gun operator got the lion’s share of the blame, but Whitmarsh insisted that McLaren would also “look at the equipment, the process, the approach”.

He told reporters on Wednesday: “We have looked at what we are doing and have made some changes to the team and the process and we’ll see them on Sunday in Barcelona.”

Despite the heat felt by the deposed wheel-gun operator, Whitmarsh reveals he was “astounded” by the number of McLaren mechanics who put their hands up to replace him.

“It reflects well on the spirit of the team. There’s been a reasonable amount of practice and we’ll see at the weekend. I believe we’ll have good stops,” he concluded.

 Martin Whitmarsh has refused to comment on whether it is Lewis Hamilton’s troubled private life that is steering his formula one career on the wrong track.
Despite winning pole position and finishing a fighting second in Korea last weekend, the 2008 world champion was visibly and audibly despondent on the back of a terrible run of form and on and off-track incidents.

The Swiss newspaper Blick reports that his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger has linked up with “a new man”, pushing Hamilton in a foul mood that is affecting his job.

“The McLaren mechanics are upset with Lewis,” reported veteran correspondent Roger Benoit, “because he treated them so coldly in Korea.

“They say he is behaving like a stubborn child.”

Hamilton, 26, hinted at his split by saying he has received “massive support” from those close to him in the past days in the form of “emails from my brother, my mum and in particular my dad”.

Team boss Whitmarsh also hinted at behind-the-scenes troubles by telling the PA Sport news agency that “professionally, he’s happy”.

“I comment on his professional life,” said the McLaren principal.

“He says he is happy, and any other enquiry regarding his state of happiness should be directed to Lewis and not me.”

Mark Webber on Sunday took over the lead of the world championship by winning his second consecutive grand prix in the space of a week.

The Australian, who was unchallenged in the Principality despite the appearance of several safety cars, dominated the entire Barcelona-Monaco double-header and is now level on points with his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Team boss Christian Horner urged Vettel to “relax” if he wants to get back on terms with the sister RB6.

“Sebastian dominated at the start of the season but Mark has really found his stride,” the Briton told the BBC.

“Seb is trying very hard and sometimes you have to relax a little bit and the times will come,” added Horner.

The biggest loser of the Monaco race is the former title leader Jenson Button, whose Mercedes engine overheated during the first safety car period because McLaren mechanics left a bung in his sidepod.

It was a fairly processional but nonetheless incident-packed race, with both Williams drivers crashing, and backmarker Jarno Trulli mounting Karun Chandhok’s HRT right in front of the leader Webber.

There is also a post-race controversy in the stewards’ room, after Fernando Alonso was passed by Michael Schumacher in the short blast between the safety car pulling in and the waving of the chequered flag.

There is some uncertainty as to whether overtaking is allowed in those circumstances on the last lap, with Mercedes’ Ross Brawn and Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali both telling TV reporters their opposing views.

“Our understanding of the regulations is pretty clear but let’s just see what the stewards say,” said Domenicali.

(GMM)