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Title only possible with 100% reliability - McLaren

Lewis Hamilton: "If Red Bull finish all the races then it's a walkover" © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Jenson Button
• |
• Lewis Hamilton
• |
• Martin Whitmarsh

• Teams:
• McLaren

After two major gearbox problems on Lewis Hamilton's car at the Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has instructed his team to focus on reliability at the final three races of the season.

Hamilton had to change his gearbox during the Suzuka weekend and in doing so took a mandatory five-place grid penalty. In the race he lost third gear on his new 'box but managed to finish by shifting between fourth and seventh gear.

Hamilton's fifth place finish dropped him 28 points - more than the value of a race win - off championship leader Mark Webber, with just 75 points still up for grabs. However, Whitmarsh still believes the championship is within his drivers' grasp as long as his car has no more glitches.

"For the final three races, we've got to make sure we have 100% reliability," Whitmarsh said. "Lewis finished this race 28 points behind the leader in the drivers' championship, with Jenson [Button] trailing by 31. With 75 points to play for in the drivers' championship, and 129 in the constructors', our title challenge is still very much alive. We'll keep on pushing and developing this car. There's no reason why we can't be fighting for the championship in Abu Dhabi."

He said the car had been competitive but was out of position due to Hamilton's problems and Button's strategy.

"The biggest positive we can take away from today's result is that both drivers clearly demonstrated significant pace against that of our rivals - and that's a motivating force that we'll take with us into the final three races of the championship."

However, Button is not as confident in the car and believes it will take a major performance upgrade at the Korean Grand Prix to keep him in contention, after McLaren's new rear wing and F-duct package flopped in Japan.

"If we don't turn up in Korea with some big improvements it will be almost impossible," he said. "I would like to think we don't have to hope Red Bull crash or have reliability issues and we have a car to challenge them. But when they have the pace they had here, they can cruise it."

"But we can't complain about luck. Look at Red Bull - Vettel has thrown away 75 points or something this year. He should be miles in front.

Hamilton was also downbeat about his chances compared to the Red Bull drivers.

"Podiums won't do it," he said. "Wins will get it if the others have problems. But if Red Bull finish all the races then it's a walkover.

"I have had bad weekends but nothing like this. This is the worst of all of them. I've had an ear infection all week, which affected my balance a bit and left me deaf in my left ear. I am just happy to have finished a race."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.