Hamilton, Button to take fight to Red Bull

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Aug 25, 2011 (AFP) - McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale expects Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to carry the fight to Red Bull in the remainder of this year's title race.

Neale said he wanted to see both men and the rest of the team adopt an entirely aggressive approach to winning races and to avoid any temptations towards caution.

He said: "There is no change of mission for our drivers - they should attack at all opportunities. We are not in a position to play a safe game. We have to give everything."

With eight races remaining, defending champion Sebastian Vettel leads the title race for Red Bull with an 88 points advantage over Hamilton and a 100-points lead on Button.

But the McLaren team are adamant that they will battle for glory until the last lap of the season.

Neale said that McLaren's recent two successive world titlee - one apiece for the drivers - had boosted confidence. He said: "They were like scoring a goal just before half-time. It gives everyone a lift going into the break and you don't have that worrisome feeling on your mind. But whilst we can draw comfort from it there is no complacency.

I don't regard us as having the upper hand. We still have a lot of work to do. "The next few races are going to be hard-fought as Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren all have cars capable of winning races."

Vettel leads the series with 234 points ahead of team-mate Mark Webber on 149, Hamilton on 146, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari on 145 and Button on 134.