Former McLaren Formula One team boss Ron Dennis has said that he finds the recent criticisms of the team's F1 car by their drivers "infuriating", suggestion that the MP4-25 is actually a perfectly good car after all, despite recent complaints.
The comments from Dennis, which the McLaren team quickly dismissed as the rantings of a man no longer involved in their F1 operation, nevertheless represent the first signs of disharmony in the team.
While their chief title rivals Ferrari and Red Bull have endured contentious moments between their drivers and the team this season, McLaren have largely looked to portray themselves as the shiny happy friendly team on the F1 grid.
But the latest comments are the first sign of frustration in a team coming to terms with the workload they now have to develop their car enough to catch their faster rivals.
"We do have a very good race car," Dennis was quoted as saying by a number of British tabloid newspapers.
"So I find it infuriating when my guys say 'I wish I was on the front row' and build in the perception that we're giving them cars less capable of winning races."
He added that: "It's the nature of drivers."
Dennis's comments came after Lewis Hamilton said the 2010 car was "massively down" on pace compared to their rivals following disappointing Friday practice results at the Hungaroring.
Hamilton has recently been constantly claiming that McLaren are now only the third fastest team on the grid.
But current McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh moved quickly to temper the Dennis comments.
"Ron's not actually involved in running the race team, but he is, of course, chairman of the group and a shareholder in it," he shrugged when asked about the quotes.
Meanwhile, former McLaren driver David Coulthard commented that it was "the first time" he could remember Dennis criticising his team's drivers in public.
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