The penalty might be harsh, but the loss of Lewis Hamilton’s pole in Spain is just the latest calamitous mistake by McLaren.

That was the tone of the paddock’s reaction to the news late on Saturday that a McLaren gaffe saw the FIA send Hamilton from first to last on the Spanish grand prix grid.

The Sun newspaper called it a draconian “24-place grid penalty” imposed by the FIA after an “astonishing cock-up” by McLaren.

Hamilton was told on the radio to pull over after his pole lap due to a “technical problem”.

Sporting director Sam Michael argued ‘force majeure’, but the stewards ruled that it had been entirely McLaren’s fault that not enough fuel was put into Hamilton’s car to ensure a scrutineering fuel sample.

Writing in the Telegraph, Tom Cary said the severity of the disqualification “raised eyebrows”, but agreed that “McLaren’s mistake was horrendous”.

He said it has been “a season of errors” by the famous British team, who are yet to get Hamilton’s signature on a new contract beyond 2012.

“Hamilton must be seething,” read an article in the Daily Mail newspaper, while The Times laid out McLaren’s “catalogue of errors”.

27-year-old Hamilton’s “raw talent is being thwarted by mishap and cock-up,” said journalist Kevin Eason.

“McLaren are lovely people but how the hell do they get themselves in this position?” wrote the Mirror’s Byron Young on Twitter.

Even the non-English language media agreed.

“It was another great mistake by McLaren that could eventually cost Hamilton the championship,” wrote Livio Oricchio in O Estado de S.Paulo.

Italy’s La Stampa called McLaren’s fuel gaffe a case of “harakiri”.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport added: “It was error number 13 for McLaren since last year”.

While highly critical of McLaren’s own-goal, however, the feeling in the paddock is that the stewards’ penalty – although accepted by McLaren – was overly harsh.

“Back of the grid? Way, way too harsh”, said the Mirror’s Young on Twitter.

“Draconian penalty in my view,” agreed PA Sport’s Ian Parkes. “Dropping Q3 time would have sufficed.”

Sky commentator Martin Brundle added: “(I) feel they should have deleted that (Q3) laptime only which would have put him sixth”.

And excluding Hamilton from Q3 altogether would have put him 11th. Now, he will be “lucky to score a point”, Auto Motor und Sport predicted.

In the Independent, however, David Tremayne noted: “Welcome to the draconian world of F1.”

David Croft, the lead Sky commentator, said the FIA stewards had acted correctly.

“A good rule should be one that covers all eventualities with a penalty that acts as a deterrent which in this case is what happened.

“Too little fuel can’t be tolerated,” he added. “It seems harsh but had Lewis taken pole by one thousandth of a second, would it be harsh then?”

The Spanish fans – not Hamilton’s biggest supporters dating back to his spats with Fernando Alonso in 2007 – were happy.

Asked on the El Mundo website whether the penalty was fair, 76 per cent answered yes.

Sebastian Vettel for the weekend began on schedule in Valencia. Only around the blink of 56 thousandths of a second he landed in his Red Bull behind the acclaimed by the Spanish fans Fernando Alonso, Ferrari retreaded. “We were on a track that we really is not so, pretty good move. But it will be tight, as in Canada,” says the runner.

Vettel was another 88 thousandths of a second faster than his Australian team-mate Mark Webber, who was third place, that the “bull” quickly on the long straights of Valencia on the road. This could have lain on the “second air” for Red Bull set to an unsatisfactory trial in Istanbul for the first time back on their own version of the invented competitor McLaren duct system, which allows greater speed.

“In the morning it was still not as good in the afternoon then better,” said Vettel, who hopes to use one in the running. If the system working, “then it is a big help.”

(TMS)

Red Bull has presented an open and McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari also rely on the big leap. The days of lazy Sunday drives by Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are at the top of the Formula 1 field over. At the latest by the two McLaren-double victory in Istanbul and Montreal, this should be clear. The British want to take the momentum now to Valencia.

“We took out the last two races, the maximum score. It seems as if we had a good run,” said Jenson Button before the race in Valencia. “The team is a unit, of which we want to benefit again in Valencia.” The question is still how well the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25 on the Spanish roads is.
“While it is a road course, but nevertheless different from Monaco or Singapore,” says the reigning world champion. “The track is faster. There are some sharp curves, but also quick direction changes and long straights. Regarding the setup is it interesting. It is not only to maximize output from. This could accommodate us very much.”

Button for Valencia is a small hurdle to overcome two major events yet to be. “There then follow two home games: Grand Prix at Silverstone and Festival at Goodwood. Both events incomprehensible many British fans will be. As world champion I am looking forward to it. Silverstone is a great experience and at Goodwood I may fulfill a childhood dream.”
The champion is the famous “Festival of Speed” at the McLaren MP4/2C sitting with Alain Prost was driven in 1986 for his second title. “I can not even partially believe how happy I am,” says Button is looking forward to the special trip as a child. And team-mate Lewis Hamilton will be allowed to drive the vehicle through the historic park in Goodwood.

“Now I’m looking forward to Valencia,” said the winner of the Grands Prix in Istanbul ind Montréal. “Last year I had a great, combative racing there. In the past two years I was there each second. So this is still a score to settle,” the clear statement of Hamilton. “It’s great that there is so much variance in the tracks. From Montreal we are now fast on the narrow street circuit in Valencia.”

“Until one has never seen a lot of overtaking in Valencia, but this year it might otherwise be, given the narrow field,” promises the series leader voltage. “For me as a driver, it is difficult to estimate and not predictable. More can you ask for little. The last races were great. It would be nice if we could also offer the Spanish fans a great show. It is determined again closely.”