Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix: McLaren held a "considered post mortem" after their disappointing showing in the Australian Grand Prix, and the results of their soul-searching were evident yesterday as Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest pace on the first free practice day in Kuala Lumpur.
Team principal Ron Dennis outlined a series of factors which had combined to undermine McLaren's chances of replicating their winter testing performances in the opening Grand Prix of the season.
But with a new wing package now fully tested and operational and a renewed focus for success, Dennis is quietly confident McLaren can get themselves back on track in Malaysia, where Raikkonen last year claimed his first Formula One victory.
"Melbourne was very unsatisfactory for us," he said. "There was a considered post mortem after the race. We made a plan and it has been well executed. We think we have a good understanding of where our weaknesses and strengths were and are.
"There were several reasons we weren't very good and the car in itself wasn't the only reason. We just didn't have our act together."
Raikkonen hit back in the heat of the afternoon sun to outpace the dominant Ferrari of world champion Michael Schumacher, whose morning time had been nearly a second faster than his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello's.
But as the Sepang track temperature rose to a sizzling 53 degrees, those with Michelin tyres - traditionally more effective in high temperatures - finally made their mark.
For McLaren, Raikkonen's quickest lap of one minute 34.385 seconds was five-100ths of a second quicker than Michael Schumacher's morning time of 1:34.437, and almost three-10ths of a second up on Ralf Schumacher's 1:34.693 in the Williams.
Marc Webber's Jaguar clocked 1:35.054 in the afternoon as all four drivers bettered the current race and qualifying laps records at Sepang.
Juan Pablo Montoya, Jarno Trulli, Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and David Coulthard all improved in the afternoon to post faster times than Barrichello, who appeared to struggle in the other Ferrari.
It was another disappointing day for the Jordan team, who finished the morning session in 19th, 20th and 21st positions. Indeed, best of the trio was test driver Timo Glock of Germany, who can't compete in the race, who recorded 1:38.788. Nick Heidfeld settled for 1:38.831, while Italian Giorgio Pantano came home in 1:39.860.
In the afternoon, Heidfeld took just over a second off his time to be in 20th with 1:37.725, Glock was 23rd in 1:38.796 while Pantano was second-last in the field in 1:39.324.
The battle of the tyres could prove crucial and Ferrari's chief rivals all expect to gain a significant advantage using Michelin.
