Fittipaldi backs McLaren to rise again

Emerson Fittipaldi has tipped McLaren to bounce back from their minor dip in form and take the challenge to Ferrari at future Formula One races this season.

McLaren have struggled for pace relative to their Italian arch-rivals since Lewis Hamilton claimed a dominant win at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

While Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were sharing the wins for Ferrari at the last three grands prix – including consecutive one-two finishes in Bahrain and Spain – McLaren could manage just two third-place finishes.

Reigning constructors’ champions Ferrari enjoy a 13-point lead over the Woking-based team after four rounds, but Fittipaldi, who won the second of his two drivers’ titles with McLaren in 1974, believes it is too early to write off their challenge just yet.

Fittipaldi said: “Ferrari are very strong but McLaren could bring out new suspension, downforce, brake balance and weight distribution that could change the car and gain three-tenths of a second – and suddenly again their car is competitive.

“McLaren is very capable of coming back very strong again.”

While perhaps not up to McLaren’s usual high standards, the MP4-23 is certainly no slouch, and Hamilton remains well in the hunt for the title and lies second in the drivers’ standings, nine points shy of Raikkonen.

“It’s still too soon to say if he [Hamilton] is going to have a chance [of fighting for the title],” Fittipaldi continued.

“He had a very good finish [on Sunday] – a little off the pace, but he could come back strong.”

Hamilton was under increased scrutiny ahead of Sunday’s race at the Circuit de Catalunya after his in-lap antics in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix saw him finish just fifth in the race, while a brush with former team-mate Fernando Alonso in Bahrain contributed heavily to a humbling 13th place at the chequered flag.

But he was able to deliver a solid podium when the pressure was on last weekend, and 61-year-old Fittipaldi, currently the principal of Team Brazil in A1GP, has no doubts over the 23-year-old’s class behind the wheel.

“I think last year he had a fantastic season as a rookie – doing as well as he did, it never had happened in grand prix history,” he said.

“He has a lot of talent – incredible. It’s very good for motor racing to have someone like Lewis doing well and gaining a much larger public following of people who were not fans before.

“He’s extremely talented, there’s no doubt about that.”