Adapted from GMM
Martin Whitmarsh has failed yet again to "kill off" suggestions McLaren will ultimately scrap the 2013 car and revert to the winning model of last season.
"Everything is an option," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport when asked the old question about the possible return of the 2012 car.
"But we have made some initial progress and I believe up to China we will make some more."
Jenson Button apparently agrees, saying qualifying in Malaysia "just two tenths off the guy (Kimi Raikkonen)", who won in Australia, "can't be bad".
Still, the rumours about the 2012 car persist, even though Whitmarsh insists there is nothing "fundamentally" flawed - or unfixable - about the MP4-28.
The team boss was asked on Saturday if he can "kill off" the 2012 car speculation.
"I can kill it off for the time being," he told reporters. "We have made a clear decision and we are working hard to understand this car in order to improve it and turn it into a race-winning one."
His message is clear -- if fixing the MP4-28 falters, the MP4-27 is always there.
"The fact is," continued Whitmarsh, "we took too long to realise (the mistakes with the MP4-28) and we are responding now."
Martin Whitmarsh has failed yet again to "kill off" suggestions McLaren will ultimately scrap the 2013 car and revert to the winning model of last season.
"Everything is an option," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport when asked the old question about the possible return of the 2012 car.
"But we have made some initial progress and I believe up to China we will make some more."
Jenson Button apparently agrees, saying qualifying in Malaysia "just two tenths off the guy (Kimi Raikkonen)", who won in Australia, "can't be bad".
Still, the rumours about the 2012 car persist, even though Whitmarsh insists there is nothing "fundamentally" flawed - or unfixable - about the MP4-28.
The team boss was asked on Saturday if he can "kill off" the 2012 car speculation.
"I can kill it off for the time being," he told reporters. "We have made a clear decision and we are working hard to understand this car in order to improve it and turn it into a race-winning one."
His message is clear -- if fixing the MP4-28 falters, the MP4-27 is always there.
"The fact is," continued Whitmarsh, "we took too long to realise (the mistakes with the MP4-28) and we are responding now."