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Drivers 'a strong unifying force' for McLaren

Martin Whitmarsh has praised McLaren's drivers for their "faultless" performances in a poor car © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Jenson Button
• |
• Sergio Perez
• |
• Martin Whitmarsh

• Teams:
• McLaren

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says Jenson Button and Sergio Perez have been "a strong unifying force" for the team during its struggles this season.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the second race in succession that McLaren had failed to score a point after its run of 64 consecutive points finishes. Whitmarsh admits that the team has found it tough going recently, but says the "faultless" performances of both drivers have been a positive that McLaren can focus on.

"After a difficult weekend at Silverstone, it's a motivation for the whole team to return to the track just a week later for the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring," Whitmarsh said. "It's a very difficult technical challenge to the flat-out sweeps of Silverstone, requiring a higher downforce set-up to get the most from the twisting infield sections and high-traction corner exits from which much of the laptime is derived.

"Our aim for Germany will be to get our cars into the points after two successive failures to finish inside the top 10. Despite those disappointments, both Jenson and Checo have driven faultlessly, and both are relentlessly positive and upbeat. They have been a strong unifying force for the team as we continue to address the issues we've encountered with this year's MP4-28.

"With more, uninterrupted mileage, we will be better placed to add performance to the car, so we'll be hoping for good weather and the opportunity to learn as much as we can."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.