McLaren chief delighted with young trio

McLaren chief Martin Whitmarsh has expressed his delight after a trio of hopefuls got their first taste of Formula One action.

Lewis Hamilton, Jamie Green and Alex Lloyd tested a McLaren this week at Silverstone as they continue their progress through motorsport’s junior ranks.

Whitmarsh, the chief executive of McLaren’s Formula One team, was impressed with how the three acquitted themselves on their testing debut.

Green and Lloyd won the test after being named McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year in 2002 and 2003 respectively while Hamilton is a long-term prodigy of the team.

Whitmarsh said: “Lewis, Jamie and Alex all had the opportunity to drive the McLaren, and as they have all raced against each other for a number of years I’m sure the day had a competitive edge.

“They all adapted well and put in good performances. We are all particularly delighted for Lewis that he has had this one-off opportunity, it has been a competitive season and this is a fitting reward for all the hard work he has put in to maintain the steep learning curve.

“From feedback we have received from all three drivers, it was a positive and enjoyable experience for them and we hope they will have benefited from the session.”