Team principal Martin Whitmarsh has admitted McLaren could have been celebrating an Australian Grand Prix one-two had they not made a mistake with Lewis Hamilton's pit-stop strategy.

Jenson Button won Sunday's race at Albert Park but the talk in the paddock afterwards was Hamilton's frustration with his own team after criticising their decision to call him in from third place for a new set to slick tyres.

Hamilton failed to finish the race after a collision with Mark Webber cost him any chance of points.

Afterwards he claimed he "deserved better" after "driving his heart out" and Whitmarsh has now conceded that a mistake was probably made with the 2008 world champion's strategy.

"With the information we had at the time, given where Lewis was, we felt that it was the right call," he explained.

"I think in retrospect and hindsight, if we look at how the race played out – if Lewis could have made those tyres last then he could have finished at least second today and we would have a one-two.

"Inimitably in McLaren style, you look at a win and say 'damn, it could have been a one-two'.

"It was disappointing because it was a fantastic drive by Lewis.

"We as a team made that decision, I have to be accountable for that and I am disappointed with the outcome, but I am not disappointed by the process because I thought it was the right decision at the time."

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