Whitmarsh knows driver discord is inevitable

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted that discord between Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton is inevitable.

Whilst the two drivers have been at pains in recent weeks to insist that their relationship has, so far at least, been harmonious and matey, Whitmarsh has admitted that friction is just a matter of time once the season begins. The two Englishmen are, after all, poised to be rivals for the World Championship.

"At some point, one of them is going to feel uncomfortable because he is getting beaten by the other," acknowledged Whitmarsh.

The question is not whether Button and Hamilton will remain friendly throughout the season but whether their inevitable separation will result in the sort of civil war that tore McLaren apart three years ago when Hamilton was partnered by Fernando Alonso.

Only time will tell but, for now, both drivers are saying all the right things.

For his part, Hamilton, after admitting that he had "mishandled" relations with Alonso and "misunderstood the goals and the understanding of how the team worked", insisted last week that "It's different now, we've learnt from experiences."

As for Button, he also vowed to remain relaxed if he is put on the backfoot on the track by his team-mate when the action begins.

"You always go into a team thinking you're equal to the best in the world," he said. "Nobody ever knows until you race against other drivers who are competitive. But I'm not going into the first race thinking 'If he beats me in this race, that's it, it's game over,'

"Nor am I thinking if I beat him 'Yay, that's it, I've won the championship.' It's not like that. It's a 19-race series, a long championship, and we will see what happens."

Source: Whitmarsh knows driver discord is inevitable - Planet-F1 News from planet-f1.com