MP4-21 has completed several race distancesNorbert Haug has played down `05 title runner-up McLaren-Mercedes` disquieting start to the new Formula One season.
The German, racing director for the team`s engine partner, went on the record this winter admitting that the silver collaboration was not where it wanted to be.
Indeed, the most trouble was in the V8 engine department. Reliability had seldom looked worse, and independent analysis` put the 2006 unit at the very bottom of the pile in terms of performance.
“However, since the start with the new car at Barcelona in January, our team showed what it`s capable of,” Haug insisted. “The lap time improved continuously throughout the tests and the long runs were ok compared to the fastest.”
Haug also reveals that the newest-spec Mercedes V8 has completed back-to-back race distances `several times` in winter running.
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