McLaren backs drivers amid criticism

(GMM) McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh has backed the Mercedes-powered team's inexperienced driver lineup.

A silver-overalled driver did not grace the podium, let alone win a race, on F1's most recent outings at Montreal and Magny-Cours.

In the same period, Lewis Hamilton, 23, and 26-year-old Heikki Kovalainen, both in their second season as F1 race drivers, received penalties for driving errors, drawing heavy media critique.

"With both Lewis and Heikki, we're convinced we've got the right blend of youth and enthusiasm to tackle the challenge of winning races and challenging for the Championship," Whitmarsh said.

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Hamilton and Kovalainen at the weekend both got a chance at the wheel of arguably the most famous F1 car of the 1950s, the Mercedes-Benz W196, at the historic British circuit Brooklands for the 'Double Twelve' motoring festival. They also demonstrated last year's MP4-22.