We won't let Lewis Hamilton down again, vow disappointed McLaren chiefs

McLaren are so determined to avoid a repeat of the pitlane blunder that might have cost Lewis Hamilton victory in the European Grand Prix that a video of the incident has been replayed and examined 100 times.

As team principal Martin Whitmarsh praised Hamilton for the growing maturity with which he has handled a succession of set-backs this season, culminating in the world champion arriving at the pits in Valencia on Sunday to find his mechanics were not ready with a new set of tyres, McLaren No2 Jonathan Neale insisted everybody concerned will be on the ball in this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

Vital seconds lost in the pits meant second-placed Hamilton was unable to put pressure on the Brawn GP of Rubens Barrichello, whose win ended any outside hope of the Briton retaining his title. Neale confirmed the blame lay with a late decision to tell Hamilton to keep going for an extra lap when he was committed to entering the pits.

He said: "I have been through all of the data. I have replayed the video footage of the stop probably 100 times, looking at every movement of who did what, and who said what. We have forensically taken it apart and looked at what we need to do. I have to say in defence of the garage, they are blameless. There was unfair criticism of the guys that manage the tyres and work the cars. The pitlane crew did an excellent job, but our decision-making was slow so we compromised them.

"What we need to do for this weekend is to learn from that and look at our decision-making. Everybody on the pitwall has been through the debrief, and we will be sharper."

For Hamilton, it was just another sorry chapter in the story of a campaign that saw him apologise for his part in a cheating scandal in Australia, and having to handle one of McLaren's worst-ever cars that initially left him trailing humiliated at the back of the grid. McLaren had regrouped by last month's Hungarian Grand Prix and Hamilton as able to race to a stunning victory.