The #3 McLaren Mercedes Car Takes 5th

The race gods were smiling on the MCLAREN MERCEDES team last Sunday, with drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton taking 5th and 1st places respectively.

Earlier Button, who started from 12th position, refused to yield when Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes squeezed him into Turn 1 on lap 10, the Englishman competing a clean overtake to launch a fine drive through the field that ended with fifth position behind Massa.

Hamilton started 2nd on the grid and maintained that position until lap 42, when he passed Vettel going into turn 12, and went on to win his 4th race of the year. He also posted wins in Canada, Hungary and Italy. The 25 points move Hamilton past Webber into 4th place in the point standings. “I’m so happy to have pulled off this very important win,” said Hamilton. “I nearly lost my voice because I was screaming so much on the in-lap – not cool at all! “It was a tough assignment, beating Red Bull, but after we moved through some traffic, I spotted an opening where I was finally able to pass. “There are a couple of grand prix races that are somehow out on their own: there’s Monaco, Silverstone, Montreal, Spa and Monza. Now you can add this circuit to that list – it’s already one of the best race tracks in the world — maybe even right up there in the top three.” Button put in a strong race after slipping to 15th from 12th on the grid; he ran as high as third, with an aggressive move on Schumacher, until the pit stops dropped him to 5th position. “Before we arrived here, we knew we were going to have to put on a good show, and I think we did just that,” he said. “There was action and suspense all the way through, which is exactly what you need to create a great sporting spectacle. I really hope the US will now embrace Formula 1 at last.”