A few weeks have passed since it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will leave McLaren for Mercedes at the end of the 2012 season. Today Jenson Button admitted that he would be a “big loss”, while Hamilton has addressed the mountain he will have to climb next season with a Mercedes team which has failed to score points in the last three races. “The team loses a very fast driver, a guy that’s achieved a lot with the team, the last guy to win a world championship for the team,” said Button in the Abu Dhabi paddock this afternoon. “It’s More…

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael believes it is possible for the team to take the fight to Red Bull over the remaining races and says nothing changes in the team’s approach to the end of the season despite its championship challenge being effectively over. Since Lewis Hamilton’s gearbox failed while leading in Singapore a month ago Red Bull has not been toppled from the top of the order in either qualifying or the race while in contrast McLaren have suffered a run of reliability problems with both of its cars. That run of results has laid the platform for Red More…

Sergio Perez has a bit to learn about dealing with the media when he steps up to a top team with McLaren next year. Today in Suzuka he essentially admitted that he lied in the press conference in Singapore two weeks ago when he was asked very clearly if he had been approached by any top teams. “Questioner: But have approaches been made? Perez: No. Questioner: From major teams, no approaches? Perez: No.” A week later he was confirmed as a McLaren driver for 2013, replacing Lewis Hamilton. Sources suggest that the negotiations were already well advanced in Monza. But More…