• European Grand Prix

Two grands prix wins could take title, says Whitmarsh

Martin Whitmarsh talks tactics with new championship leader Lewis Hamilton © Press Association

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A driver who wins as few as two grands prix this season could end up walking away with the 2012 title.

That is the view of McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh, after an extraordinary start to this season that has seen seven different drivers climbing onto the top step of the podium.

"Given that the delta between ourselves, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing is so narrow, we'll once again be pushing hard on both our operational and technical fronts to ensure we stay at the front," said Whitmarsh. "As always, we aim to bring at least an additional one-tenth [of a second] laptime benefit to each race, and we're pushing hard to ensure we can over-deliver on that on as regular a basis as possible. It may sound like a negligible increment, but it could prove to be the difference between winning and losing the world championship."

Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win of the season after a measured drive in Canada. And the former world champion now leads the world championship by just two points from bitter rival Fernando Alonso.

"It's certainly feasible that this year's title could be won by a driver who scores only two or three grand prix wins, but who reinforces those victories with the most consistently solid approach. So, whereas in previous years, there was an emphasis on the 'big' results, this year it seems that minor points placings could provide a decisive edge in the title battle."

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