Hamilton: P2 a major success

During the winter tests, McLaren found themselves fighting a campaign on multiple fronts, as the MP4-26 was neither reliable nor really fast. But with a radically redesigned exhaust, McLaren have managed to turn around their fortunes in Australia. Lewis Hamilton put the car on the front row in qualifying and finished the race as runner-up.

"We can definitely be proud of this result," said Hamilton. "The guys did a great job. One or two weeks ago, we didn't expect to be anywhere near the Top 5. So finishing second and having the reliability of the cars confirmed is a very satisfying outcome."