Lewis Hamilton gave his McLaren another test of strength on Friday.
After brushing the barriers a few times in Monaco, and then kissing the concrete once or twice last weekend in Canada, the championship leading rookie went off while practicing in Indianapolis and had to return to the pits for repairs.
“The chassis was ok, but we lost some (aerodynamic) bits,” managing director Martin Whitmarsh smiled.
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US grand prix stewards on Friday launched an investigation after David Coulthard apparently set his quickest time of the day while yellow flags were waving on Friday.
After studying the relevant data, it was decided that the F1 veteran and his team Red Bull Racing should not be penalised.
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Scotland’s Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti visited the Indianapolis F1 paddock on Friday, and praised his friend Lewis Hamilton.
Franchitti said he has known the McLaren driver for years because his cousin, Paul di Resta, grew up racing against Hamilton in junior categories.
“He seems to be handling it very well, which I thought he would,” Franchitti said.
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FIA spokesman Richard Woods on Friday revealed that the first formula one night-race tests staged here on Thursday evening had been “positive”.
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F1 car designer Adrian Newey in Indianapolis rejected suggestions that he wants to test his own Red Bull single seater in the near future.
“I would not be quick enough to be of any use,” said the Briton, who is actually an avid amateur racing driver. “I have no illusions about that.”
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In the heat of the apparent ‘civil war’ between his drivers, McLaren boss Ron Dennis on Friday declared that he has “never had such disdain for the media”.
Mercedes’ Norbert Haug, however, took a different tack, suggesting that the tit-for-tat exchange between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton shows that the duo are “pushing each other in a positive way”.
“I understand people are looking for controversial stories, but inside the team it’s different. I honestly don’t think that with bad feelings you could achieve our track record of the last couple of races,” the German added.
