Despite having two World Champions on the payroll in Hamilton and Jenson Button, last season proved to be a harmonious one for McLaren.Many believe this was because the McLaren drivers were not regularly squabbling over race wins while Button's quest was further undone by his poor qualifying performances.
But should McLaren's new MP4-26 prove to be a regular race winner, F1 commentator Martin Brundle reckons the duo will soon find themselves fighting on the track - and off it.
Hamilton, though, is adamant himself and Button can avoid the pitfalls that befell Red Bull rivals Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber when they were fighting each other for race wins in 2010.
"We're both racers, but we're both sensible," the 2008 World Champ told the official F1 website.
"We both know that to win in Formula One you need the best equipment. Is there any sense in Jenson and me fighting against each other if it damages our chances of having the fastest car?
"As we've said all along, we need to work together to develop our car, move it into the best possible position, and only then can we start thinking about the World Championship. What's the use in battling tooth and nail over 10th place?
"Having said that, Jenson and I also get on very well together - we've both grown up within British motorsport, we've shared a lot of the same experiences and it's brought us to the same point in our lives, driving for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and doing our very best to win the World Championship for ourselves and our team."
As for whether McLaren's MP4-26 will rise to the front, Hamilton insists it's too early to tell.
"Performance is relative. You can pull out all the stops over the winter and still not know what shape you'll be in at the first race.
"All I can say is that every single person within our organisation has been flat out to ensure the car is the best it can be.
"Will that be good enough? We won't know until we get to Bahrain next month."
Source: Planet-F1
