Motorsport: McLaren lag in chase for hearts

It's quite clear McLaren have an image problem. It's even clearer it could be the least of their worries.

If Ferrari's opening weekend in Melbourne was horrible, the famous marque that carries New Zealander Bruce McLaren's name was that much worse, with repercussions continuing through to Malaysia.

On Friday, McLaren suspended sporting director Dave Ryan, a Kiwi, following Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix.

For all the world he looks a convenient scapegoat for a piece of horrible McLaren disingenuity.

McLaren driver Hamilton was effectively accused of being less than honest in his dealings with the FIA, motorsport's governing body, when having Jarno Trulli removed from his podium spot for passing him when racing under the safety car.

When reinstating Trulli to third after radio transmissions proved McLaren had ordered Hamilton to let Trulli overtake him, the FIA released a statement saying Hamilton "acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading the stewards".

So what compelled team principal Martin Whitmarsh to say "there is no implication Lewis lied to stewards" is anybody's guess. But what it has done is further alienate McLaren from the neutral F1 fan following their disqualification from the 2007 constructors' championship after illegally obtaining Ferrari's technical information.

Ask anybody in KL this week who they want to win today and it falls into three categories: Ferrari; McLaren; and anybody but McLaren. Unfortunately the first and third categories vastly outnumber the second.

Even more unfortunate, if you're a follower of the chrome, black and red livery, is that McLaren are given virtually no hope today.

Just how they have gone from having the world champion and being an F1 tiger to kitten in the space of an off-season is a lot harder to explain.

They are one of four teams to have used the new KERS in Melbourne. Without boring the pants off the layman, the Kinetic Energy Recovery System takes the wasted energy used at braking and runs it through a generator that provides up to 80 units of horsepower drivers can use, at the push of a button, for up to six seconds per lap.

The problem with the KERS is that it is heavy and therefore carries a weight penalty that can be tough to neutralise during qualifying.

So along with Ferrari, Renault and BMW-Sauber (who armed only Nick Heidfeld with KERS at Melbourne) McLaren remain at the cutting edge of technology.

However, they do not have the rear diffuser used by Brawn, Williams and Toyota. The diffuser is part of the aerodynamic package that gives cars downforce. Simply put, the greater the downforce, the easier it is for cars to stay on the track.

They can take corners faster and shave tenths of seconds off their lap times - the difference between winning and losing.

At least four teams are protesting the use of the diffusers, a protest that will be heard on April 14, believing they contravene the new aerodynamic regulations. However, former F1 driver Alex Yoong believed the fuss over the diffusers was overblown.

"Other teams are making a big noise about it because that's what they do. They [Brawn] are just doing a better job. The advantage [from the diffuser] has been exaggerated."

Yoong said the best resourced teams - McLaren, Ferrari and Renault - would claw their way back over the season but there could be some grim times ahead for McLaren.

What is clear is that Brawn, a team salvaged by former Ferrari wunderkind Ross Brawn from the ashes of BAR Honda, has turned the world of F1 on its head by debuting with a one-two finish in Melbourne.

He has taken advantage of the uncertainty surrounding the new specification requirements and the return of slick tyres to produce a compelling package while other teams flounder.

It's the best news a formerly grey and dull F1 could have received, even if it means upsetting the old world order.

For Hamilton's part, he called a press conference to tell everybody how sorry he was but that it was all Ryan's fault for telling him to withhold information.

"I would like to say a big sorry to all my fans who have believed in me, who have supported me for years, who I showed who I am for the past three years and it is who I am. I am not a liar. I am not a dishonest person. I am a team player.

"Every time I have been informed to do something, I have done it. This time I realise it was a huge mistake and I am learning from it. It has taken a huge toll on me."

It was a wise move, even if you view it through a cynical lens. Hamilton and McLaren's swift, if not completely convincing, mea culpa might even cast the beleaguered team in a more sympathetic light.

But whether it is the chase for hearts or championship points, McLaren is still a long way off the pace.