McLaren boss: 'I was wrong'
2012-05-14 10:41
TEAM BOSS TO BLAME: Lewis Hamilton could have won his first race of the 2012 season were it not for a technical rules breach by McLaren's team boss.
Author: Paul Logothetis
BARCELONA, Spain - McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh's poor understanding of Formula 1 rules ultimately cost Lewis Hamilton his chance of winning the 2012 Spanish GP.
Whitmarsh told Hamilton to stop on the Catalunya track after winning pole position during the qualifying because he was worried that his driver could not provide a complete fuel sample.
Hamilton's move was in breach of F1 rules as drivers must have enough fuel left to get back to the garages and provide a sample.
Whitmarsh says he was wrong as Hamilton's car met those requirements: "I didn't anticipate, as a consequence, that we would be starting from back of the grid. In hindsight, I should have called it a different way."
Hamilton finished eighth after starting 24th.