"Arguably we have been too conservative and risk-averse in regulation interpretation," Whitmarsh conceded in a separate interview with The Guardian. "Given our brand and our position, I think we are more risk-averse.
Asked about those remarks as he faced up to the cameras ahead of qualifying in Abu Dhabi, Whitmarsh reiterated his impression that his team had been more risk-averse than most.
"I think we have, given our brand, got to make sure we're within the spirit of the regulations," he said.
"So I think we're a little bit risk averse but I think the challenge is to do a better job and make sure we interpret fairly and reasonably the regulations. But there's a limit to how far you can go in pushing them - certainly in our case."