Tampilkan postingan dengan label Jenson Button. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Jenson Button. Tampilkan semua postingan
Selasa, 31 Mei 2011
Sabtu, 28 Mei 2011
Button: More needs to be done in Monaco
Jenson Button says Formula One still needs to improve the safety barriers in Monte Carlo after Sergio Perez crashed heavily in qualifying
Perez's accident was similar to that Button had in 2003 which resulted in the Brit having to miss the Monaco race. At present, it looks like Perez will suffer the same fate as the Sauber rookie has a concussion and a sprained thigh.
However, that's a marked improvement on what happened in 1994 when Karl Wendlinger hit the divide and spent weeks in a coma.
"I think the cars have improved dramatically with safety since Karl Wendlinger's accident and the barrier has been moved back since my accident," said Button.
"But there are some areas - and this is the main one - where we want it to be safer so that we can come here and enjoy the racing.
It is a tricky corner and it's difficult to know what it (the solution) is - but I think we need to look further on what we can do with the run-off there.
"Motor racing is dangerous and it says it on the passes, (but) there is always more we can do. We need to keep tweaking some areas, sit down and really improve for the future."
Button's comments was echoed by Mark Webber, with the Red Bull driver saying there is always more that can be done to improve safety.
"It has always been bumpy there under the brakes and every year the cars we have are a bit different aerodynamically," said the Aussie.
"And in terms of safety, it's probably an area we need to look at and improve on, especially after JB and also Karl Wendlinger in the mid 1990s.
"There is a bump there, but it is just that if you have a problem with the rear, the chance to recover is very low. We saw Vitaly (Petrov) and he went straight down.
"We were also lucky they pulled the sleeping policeman up after this morning because he [Perez] could have had a nastier accident.
"We need to keep learning and work hard with the FIA with the drivers and help out the guys - we are the ones in the cockpit so it's nice to improve if we can."
Source: Planet-F1
Perez's accident was similar to that Button had in 2003 which resulted in the Brit having to miss the Monaco race. At present, it looks like Perez will suffer the same fate as the Sauber rookie has a concussion and a sprained thigh.However, that's a marked improvement on what happened in 1994 when Karl Wendlinger hit the divide and spent weeks in a coma.
"I think the cars have improved dramatically with safety since Karl Wendlinger's accident and the barrier has been moved back since my accident," said Button.
"But there are some areas - and this is the main one - where we want it to be safer so that we can come here and enjoy the racing.
It is a tricky corner and it's difficult to know what it (the solution) is - but I think we need to look further on what we can do with the run-off there.
"Motor racing is dangerous and it says it on the passes, (but) there is always more we can do. We need to keep tweaking some areas, sit down and really improve for the future."
Button's comments was echoed by Mark Webber, with the Red Bull driver saying there is always more that can be done to improve safety.
"It has always been bumpy there under the brakes and every year the cars we have are a bit different aerodynamically," said the Aussie.
"And in terms of safety, it's probably an area we need to look at and improve on, especially after JB and also Karl Wendlinger in the mid 1990s.
"There is a bump there, but it is just that if you have a problem with the rear, the chance to recover is very low. We saw Vitaly (Petrov) and he went straight down.
"We were also lucky they pulled the sleeping policeman up after this morning because he [Perez] could have had a nastier accident.
"We need to keep learning and work hard with the FIA with the drivers and help out the guys - we are the ones in the cockpit so it's nice to improve if we can."
Source: Planet-F1
Kamis, 19 Mei 2011
Lewis Hamilton: Button is my best team-mate
Lewis Hamilton insists Jenson Button is the best team-mate he has had in Formula One
The McLaren duo are contesting their second season together, against the backdrop of suggestions last year they do not get on.
But Hamilton, 26, put that one to rest by confirming he rates 2009 world champion Button the bee's knees.
Hamilton, gunning for his second victory of 2011 in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, said: "To be a good driver, it's not only about speed.
"It's about your presence in the team, the comments you make, your persona and your behaviour when you win and when you lose. Jenson is definitely the best overall package I've been up against."
Hamilton trails Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the world championship by 34 points. Button is another 13 points behind, in fourth place behind Vettel's partner Mark Webber.
The Red Bull drivers have had their in-house rows but remain a huge obstacle to Hamilton as he seeks to add to his 2008 world crown.
Hamilton admitted: "I have to beat Red Bull. They have the best car.
"The last time I drove at Barcelona, during winter testing, the car had no grip. I've downforce now and I'll be more competitive in the race."
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have transformed the performance of their MP4-26 car in recent weeks.
The team completed fewer laps in winter testing than anyone else due to reliability problems. But Hamilton and Button have finished every race this year.
Hamilton also expects a close battle with local hero Fernando Alonso.
The double world champion finished one place ahead of the Brit in Turkey last time out and the Ferrari star will have the crowd's support in his home race.
Hamilton said: "There's mutual respect between us. He has some serious talent. He's very, very quick but not impossible to beat. No one is."
The McLaren duo will be boosted by more than 10 new upgrades this weekend.
McLaren's engineering director Tim Goss said: "We have about 10-12 upgrades, some of which will be recognisable from the outside and some that will not be."
Vodafone UK is giving all its customers the chance to be at some of Britain's best events, including exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of the McLaren Technology Centre and the chance to win tickets to the 2011 Formula One Santander British Grand Prix.
Source: The Sun
The McLaren duo are contesting their second season together, against the backdrop of suggestions last year they do not get on.But Hamilton, 26, put that one to rest by confirming he rates 2009 world champion Button the bee's knees.
Hamilton, gunning for his second victory of 2011 in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, said: "To be a good driver, it's not only about speed.
"It's about your presence in the team, the comments you make, your persona and your behaviour when you win and when you lose. Jenson is definitely the best overall package I've been up against."
Hamilton trails Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the world championship by 34 points. Button is another 13 points behind, in fourth place behind Vettel's partner Mark Webber.
The Red Bull drivers have had their in-house rows but remain a huge obstacle to Hamilton as he seeks to add to his 2008 world crown.
Hamilton admitted: "I have to beat Red Bull. They have the best car.
"The last time I drove at Barcelona, during winter testing, the car had no grip. I've downforce now and I'll be more competitive in the race."
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have transformed the performance of their MP4-26 car in recent weeks.
The team completed fewer laps in winter testing than anyone else due to reliability problems. But Hamilton and Button have finished every race this year.
Hamilton also expects a close battle with local hero Fernando Alonso.
The double world champion finished one place ahead of the Brit in Turkey last time out and the Ferrari star will have the crowd's support in his home race.
Hamilton said: "There's mutual respect between us. He has some serious talent. He's very, very quick but not impossible to beat. No one is."
The McLaren duo will be boosted by more than 10 new upgrades this weekend.
McLaren's engineering director Tim Goss said: "We have about 10-12 upgrades, some of which will be recognisable from the outside and some that will not be."
Vodafone UK is giving all its customers the chance to be at some of Britain's best events, including exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of the McLaren Technology Centre and the chance to win tickets to the 2011 Formula One Santander British Grand Prix.
Source: The Sun
Kamis, 12 Mei 2011
Q&A with Jenson Button after Istanbul
Jenson Button says he'll put Turkey "down to experience and move on" after he lost out due to his three-stop strategy...
Q: Turkey was a race where you seemed to hold all the right cards yet couldn't play them at the right times...
JB: "Yeah, pretty much. I think, like everyone else, we went into the race believing that a three-stopper was the best strategy. And while it quickly became quite apparent that most people were being pushed into a four-stopper, I looked after the tyres in that first stint, managed to gain a few laps on the cars around me and still looked set to make a three-stop strategy work.
"I think we were on course for a decent result, but I suffered a bit when, in the team's attempt to get me into clear air, I was boxed a bit too soon into the tyres' life. Plus, I was released into traffic and then those earlier-than-necessary stops left me with a bit of a final stint, which meant that I really struggled for pace on tyres that were really past their best."
Q: And what do you draw from that?
JB: "It's disappointing because, from the cockpit, I didn't really do anything wrong - I drove a clean, strong race and looked after the tyres, but I suffered a bit as a result of that. As we've seen in the first three races, all the teams and drivers are on a steep learning curve with these tyres and we just have to notch this one down to experience and move on. I think we'll all learn something from Sunday and, hopefully, we can put it to good use as soon as possible.
"Besides, we didn't really have the pace in the car, to challenge for victory on Sunday. When you have the car beneath you that has good pace, it does make your strategy easier: when you're forced to push, you sometimes have to make a marginal call, or try to make a less-than-perfect strategy work. We never said it was easy, and it's good that we feel confident enough to make risky calls. I'll be heading into the next two races feeling more confident that we'll be back to our usual position up at the front."
Q: It looked like the team's performance took a knock at Turkey - do you think you'll bounce back in Spain and Monaco?
JB: "For Turkey, we'd planned to introduce a couple of useful upgrades, but for several reasons, we weren't able to get them onto the car. As we've said before, the championship battle is basically a development race, and we stumbled a little bit in Turkey because the progress that we'd anticipated making wasn't quite there.
"But I know how this team reacts - they won't have liked having fallen off the bubble in Turkey, and we feel pretty confident that we'll be able to get the pace and reliability from some of our planned upgrades, so I'm optimistic that we'll have those components back on the car for Barcelona.
"We're always developing new solutions, too, and I know that the designers are pushing hard on all fronts to make sure we're in a position to win more races."
Source: jensonbutton.com
Q: Turkey was a race where you seemed to hold all the right cards yet couldn't play them at the right times...JB: "Yeah, pretty much. I think, like everyone else, we went into the race believing that a three-stopper was the best strategy. And while it quickly became quite apparent that most people were being pushed into a four-stopper, I looked after the tyres in that first stint, managed to gain a few laps on the cars around me and still looked set to make a three-stop strategy work.
"I think we were on course for a decent result, but I suffered a bit when, in the team's attempt to get me into clear air, I was boxed a bit too soon into the tyres' life. Plus, I was released into traffic and then those earlier-than-necessary stops left me with a bit of a final stint, which meant that I really struggled for pace on tyres that were really past their best."
Q: And what do you draw from that?
JB: "It's disappointing because, from the cockpit, I didn't really do anything wrong - I drove a clean, strong race and looked after the tyres, but I suffered a bit as a result of that. As we've seen in the first three races, all the teams and drivers are on a steep learning curve with these tyres and we just have to notch this one down to experience and move on. I think we'll all learn something from Sunday and, hopefully, we can put it to good use as soon as possible.
"Besides, we didn't really have the pace in the car, to challenge for victory on Sunday. When you have the car beneath you that has good pace, it does make your strategy easier: when you're forced to push, you sometimes have to make a marginal call, or try to make a less-than-perfect strategy work. We never said it was easy, and it's good that we feel confident enough to make risky calls. I'll be heading into the next two races feeling more confident that we'll be back to our usual position up at the front."
Q: It looked like the team's performance took a knock at Turkey - do you think you'll bounce back in Spain and Monaco?
JB: "For Turkey, we'd planned to introduce a couple of useful upgrades, but for several reasons, we weren't able to get them onto the car. As we've said before, the championship battle is basically a development race, and we stumbled a little bit in Turkey because the progress that we'd anticipated making wasn't quite there.
"But I know how this team reacts - they won't have liked having fallen off the bubble in Turkey, and we feel pretty confident that we'll be able to get the pace and reliability from some of our planned upgrades, so I'm optimistic that we'll have those components back on the car for Barcelona.
"We're always developing new solutions, too, and I know that the designers are pushing hard on all fronts to make sure we're in a position to win more races."
Source: jensonbutton.com
Rabu, 11 Mei 2011
Photos: Prime Minister David Cameron Meets With Formula One Drivers Lewis Hamilton And Jenson Button
British Prime Minister David Cameron, joins Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button on the steps of 10 Downing Street on May 11, 2011 in London, England.The two McLaren drivers came to Downing Street to help launch the UN's 'Decade of Action for Road Safety' campaign, which aims to reduce fatal road crashes
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Video: Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button join David Cameron at Downing Street for safety drive
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button join David Cameron at Downing Street to launch the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety
Source: ITNSports
Source: ITNSports
Minggu, 08 Mei 2011
Button: Strategy was wrong
Jenson Button: It's a pity to finish so far back after everything in the first stint seemed to go so well. Strategy-wise, I don't think we got it right today
Jenson Button has said his strategy was to blame after only finishing sixth in today's Turkish Grand Prix.
Button, who opted to three-stop, was running fourth in the closing stages, but on worn tyres he was powerless to fight off his team-mate, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who both four-stopped, and he eventually finished more than 10 seconds behind the latter.
“It's a pity to finish so far back after everything in the first stint seemed to go so well,” Button lamented. “Strategy-wise, I don't think we got it right today.
“My battle with Lewis [early on] was great fun and there was a lot of excitement on the track, but I was disappointed to finish where I did: the car felt very good but we just went the wrong way on strategy.
“I think most people probably started the race aiming for a three-stopper, but because many of them damaged their tyres in the first stint, they changed their approach. We didn't, and I was able to put a couple of laps on everyone and my tyres still felt pretty good – but I felt the next two stops were earlier than the tyres could have done, which is disappointing.
“We didn't leave the stops late enough – the tyres were still good at the end of every stop, so we should have stayed out longer because it just made the last stint extremely difficult.
“During the final stint, I was trying to get the best out of the car but it's so hard because the difference in pace between a fresh and used set of tyres is so great.”
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh meanwhile concurred it was a mistake to three-stop: “Jenson was the quickest of the three-stoppers, but with hindsight it probably wasn't the optimal strategy, and consequently he struggled a bit – through no fault of his own.”
Source: Crash.net
Jenson Button has said his strategy was to blame after only finishing sixth in today's Turkish Grand Prix.Button, who opted to three-stop, was running fourth in the closing stages, but on worn tyres he was powerless to fight off his team-mate, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who both four-stopped, and he eventually finished more than 10 seconds behind the latter.
“It's a pity to finish so far back after everything in the first stint seemed to go so well,” Button lamented. “Strategy-wise, I don't think we got it right today.
“My battle with Lewis [early on] was great fun and there was a lot of excitement on the track, but I was disappointed to finish where I did: the car felt very good but we just went the wrong way on strategy.
“I think most people probably started the race aiming for a three-stopper, but because many of them damaged their tyres in the first stint, they changed their approach. We didn't, and I was able to put a couple of laps on everyone and my tyres still felt pretty good – but I felt the next two stops were earlier than the tyres could have done, which is disappointing.
“We didn't leave the stops late enough – the tyres were still good at the end of every stop, so we should have stayed out longer because it just made the last stint extremely difficult.
“During the final stint, I was trying to get the best out of the car but it's so hard because the difference in pace between a fresh and used set of tyres is so great.”
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh meanwhile concurred it was a mistake to three-stop: “Jenson was the quickest of the three-stoppers, but with hindsight it probably wasn't the optimal strategy, and consequently he struggled a bit – through no fault of his own.”
Source: Crash.net
Kamis, 28 April 2011
Jense plans to end F1 career at McLaren
Jenson Button has reiterated his desire to see out his Formula One career with McLaren
The 31-year-old's three-year contract with the team expires at the end of the 2012 season, but both parties have previously indicated that they would be keen to extend the deal so that the "dream team" of Button and Lewis Hamilton remain intact for the foreseeable future.
Recent reports suggested that McLaren would be willing to spend up to £100m in order to retain their current line-up until 2017.
Button admits he is eager to remain part of the Woking-based outfit until he quits the sport.
"When I finish racing here, I won't be racing in Formula 1 anymore," Button told Autosport. "I'm very happy here. I want to enjoy my racing and I'm really enjoying my time here. I can't see any reason to be anywhere else.
"I'm driving for one of the best teams in the world. It's a position that most drivers would love to be in and I've worked very hard for it. I might be around for three years, five years... I don't know."
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh also gave the clearest indication yet that they are eager to hang onto Button's services.
"If Jenson says he is totally committed and wants to do x more years, then I suspect that we could quickly come to an agreement," Whitmarsh told Autosport. "He's a tremendous asset to the team and when we get around to that, I hope that it will be a quick and easy conversation."
Source: Planet-F1
The 31-year-old's three-year contract with the team expires at the end of the 2012 season, but both parties have previously indicated that they would be keen to extend the deal so that the "dream team" of Button and Lewis Hamilton remain intact for the foreseeable future.Recent reports suggested that McLaren would be willing to spend up to £100m in order to retain their current line-up until 2017.
Button admits he is eager to remain part of the Woking-based outfit until he quits the sport.
"When I finish racing here, I won't be racing in Formula 1 anymore," Button told Autosport. "I'm very happy here. I want to enjoy my racing and I'm really enjoying my time here. I can't see any reason to be anywhere else.
"I'm driving for one of the best teams in the world. It's a position that most drivers would love to be in and I've worked very hard for it. I might be around for three years, five years... I don't know."
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh also gave the clearest indication yet that they are eager to hang onto Button's services.
"If Jenson says he is totally committed and wants to do x more years, then I suspect that we could quickly come to an agreement," Whitmarsh told Autosport. "He's a tremendous asset to the team and when we get around to that, I hope that it will be a quick and easy conversation."
Source: Planet-F1
Sabtu, 16 April 2011
Button: Vettel's pace is phenomenal
Although he stopped short of saying Sebastian Vettel is unbeatable, Jenson Button reckons his only chance of winning in China is if he beats the Red Bull off the line
But even then Button's chances aren't looking that good given that Vettel qualified a massive 0.715s ahead of the McLaren driver on Saturday afternoon.
And the last time the German was over seven-tenths up in qualifying, which was in Australia, he cruised to victory, completely unchallenged by second-place finisher Lewis Hamilton.
But, despite the odds being in Vettel's favour, Button was delighted with his qualifying performance.
"This is my best grid slot of the year and from where we were on Friday we've improved the car a lot," he said. "We should be happy with what we've achieved."
Looking ahead to Sunday's race, the 2009 World Champ reckons his "best chance of winning the race is to challenge Seb into Turn One."
But, then again, he had been hoping to challenge the German in qualifying. "I thought we could fight for pole, but the pace of Sebastian in Q3 was phenomenal."
Even Vettel was "surprised" by the gap between himself and second-placed Button.
"The gap surprised us as well," said the reigning World Champ.
"Obviously we did it again but I try to remind myself and the team that every time is tough. It wasn't straightforward, in Q2 I had a bit of a mistake but in Q3 we improved.
"It all starts from zero again on Sunday. All it is is eight metres (in front of Button). We are as happy as we can be with the car, we had good long runs on Friday so have reason to feel good."
Source: Planet-F1
But even then Button's chances aren't looking that good given that Vettel qualified a massive 0.715s ahead of the McLaren driver on Saturday afternoon. And the last time the German was over seven-tenths up in qualifying, which was in Australia, he cruised to victory, completely unchallenged by second-place finisher Lewis Hamilton.
But, despite the odds being in Vettel's favour, Button was delighted with his qualifying performance.
"This is my best grid slot of the year and from where we were on Friday we've improved the car a lot," he said. "We should be happy with what we've achieved."
Looking ahead to Sunday's race, the 2009 World Champ reckons his "best chance of winning the race is to challenge Seb into Turn One."
But, then again, he had been hoping to challenge the German in qualifying. "I thought we could fight for pole, but the pace of Sebastian in Q3 was phenomenal."
Even Vettel was "surprised" by the gap between himself and second-placed Button.
"The gap surprised us as well," said the reigning World Champ.
"Obviously we did it again but I try to remind myself and the team that every time is tough. It wasn't straightforward, in Q2 I had a bit of a mistake but in Q3 we improved.
"It all starts from zero again on Sunday. All it is is eight metres (in front of Button). We are as happy as we can be with the car, we had good long runs on Friday so have reason to feel good."
Source: Planet-F1
Kamis, 14 April 2011
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button could be at McLaren 'for five years'
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the two McLaren drivers, could continue their partnership with the team for "another five years", the team's team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, believes.
Whitmarsh said that the pair's relationship was so competitive that it could withstand the pressures of pursuing world titles in Formula One.
He was speaking as McLaren arrived in Shanghai for the Chinese grand prix this coming weekend. "We have two drivers that do really have a particular bond. They like working together and are both enjoying it," Whitmarsh said of Hamilton, 26, and Button, 31.
Button, said Whitmarsh, could stay with McLaren for "another five years at least" and Hamilton seemed so comfortable with McLaren that the younger driver could keep the combination intact.
"I can't think of two drivers who are better communicators than Jenson and Lewis. And we've got both of them."
Source: The Guardian
Minggu, 10 April 2011
Confusing afternoon for Button
Jenson Button admits it wasn't all plain sailing at the Malaysian Grand Prix as the different strategies made things a little confusing
The McLaren driver, who started fourth on the grid, claimed his first podium of the 2011 season with a second-place finish behind Sebastian Vettel.
However, with most of the front-runners opting for three-stoppers, Button feels it was difficult to know what was going on around him.
"It was a really confusing race in a way, understanding or trying to understand the pitstops and whether it is worth looking after the tyres or not, so pretty tricky," said Button.
"In the last stint putting the prime tyre on, the car came alive, I had so much more grip. I had a feeling the tyre would not go the same way as the prime tyre."
"I had so much more grip and I had a feeling that the tyre wasn't going to go the same way as the soft tyre, and my pace was much better in the last stint. It was a fun race, a couple of really good battles.
" Although he is delighted with P2, he admits he wanted to push Vettel a little harder in the end.
"I was happy to come away with a second, I had the team telling me to back it off and look after the tyres," he said.
"But, in a racer's mind you want to push as hard as you can and try and catch the leader. Even though it was not really on, I had to give it a go. I had a lot of fun out there, and great to get 18 points.
"A big thank you to the whole team for doing a magnificent job today with the pit stops and the strategy. I think we've made some good progress, so I think looking forward to China we should be excited and hopefully we can challenge these guys (Red Bull)."
Source: Planet-F1
The McLaren driver, who started fourth on the grid, claimed his first podium of the 2011 season with a second-place finish behind Sebastian Vettel. However, with most of the front-runners opting for three-stoppers, Button feels it was difficult to know what was going on around him.
"It was a really confusing race in a way, understanding or trying to understand the pitstops and whether it is worth looking after the tyres or not, so pretty tricky," said Button.
"In the last stint putting the prime tyre on, the car came alive, I had so much more grip. I had a feeling the tyre would not go the same way as the prime tyre."
"I had so much more grip and I had a feeling that the tyre wasn't going to go the same way as the soft tyre, and my pace was much better in the last stint. It was a fun race, a couple of really good battles.
" Although he is delighted with P2, he admits he wanted to push Vettel a little harder in the end.
"I was happy to come away with a second, I had the team telling me to back it off and look after the tyres," he said.
"But, in a racer's mind you want to push as hard as you can and try and catch the leader. Even though it was not really on, I had to give it a go. I had a lot of fun out there, and great to get 18 points.
"A big thank you to the whole team for doing a magnificent job today with the pit stops and the strategy. I think we've made some good progress, so I think looking forward to China we should be excited and hopefully we can challenge these guys (Red Bull)."
Source: Planet-F1
Sabtu, 09 April 2011
Button: We can fight with the Red Bulls
Jenson Button: It looks like it's going to be a fun scrap tomorrow – we're a lot closer to the Red Bulls than I think many people expected
F1 2009 world champion Jenson Button has predicted it could be a 'fun scrap' tomorrow at the Sepang International Circuit and he is confident McLaren will be able to take the race to the Red Bulls.
Button looked very competitive in qualifying for Sunday's Malaysian GP and topped the times in Q2. However in Q3 he was unable to repeat that feat and in the end finished up on the second row of the grid in fourth, his best lap a 1 minute 35.200 seconds, which left him 0.021 seconds off Mark Webber in third and 0.330 seconds off Sebastian Vettel in pole.
“I just wish Q2 had been Q3, but it wasn't!” Button said. “I had a touch more oversteer in Q3, but that's the set-up direction I chose to take. The balance was pretty good, but I hurt the tyres a little bit too much in the final sector, and that left me in fourth.
“It looks like it's going to be a fun scrap tomorrow though – we're a lot closer to the Red Bulls than I think many people expected, and there's a margin over the guys behind us, so hopefully it will be the four of us playing tomorrow [for the win].
“Our starts weren't great in Melbourne. [But] I hope they'll be better in this race; we have a very good KERS Hybrid system, so hopefully it will help us and we can really attack into Turn One. I'm looking forward to it – the weather has held off for the past two days. And if it's a dry race, we really should be able to take the race to the Red Bulls.”
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh meanwhile has paid tribute to the team for transforming the MP4-26 into a competitive stead after a difficult winter, although he too is praying for it to remain dry.
“Clearly, we're encouraged by our pace here – but there's no magic involved: F1 is all about hard graft, and I want to thank everyone back in Woking for working so hard to achieve the performance improvements that we've seen here today,” Whitmarsh continued.
“We think our race pace tomorrow ought to be good enough for us to mount a very serious challenge for victory, and that's certainly what we'll be aiming for. But it'll be close, no doubt about that.
“Since the race is scheduled to start at 4.00pm, rain is a distinct possibility, because there has been a downpour at that time on quite a few days earlier this week.
“But we hope it doesn't rain because we think we'll be on the pace if the race is a conventional dry one.”
Source: Crash.net
F1 2009 world champion Jenson Button has predicted it could be a 'fun scrap' tomorrow at the Sepang International Circuit and he is confident McLaren will be able to take the race to the Red Bulls. Button looked very competitive in qualifying for Sunday's Malaysian GP and topped the times in Q2. However in Q3 he was unable to repeat that feat and in the end finished up on the second row of the grid in fourth, his best lap a 1 minute 35.200 seconds, which left him 0.021 seconds off Mark Webber in third and 0.330 seconds off Sebastian Vettel in pole.
“I just wish Q2 had been Q3, but it wasn't!” Button said. “I had a touch more oversteer in Q3, but that's the set-up direction I chose to take. The balance was pretty good, but I hurt the tyres a little bit too much in the final sector, and that left me in fourth.
“It looks like it's going to be a fun scrap tomorrow though – we're a lot closer to the Red Bulls than I think many people expected, and there's a margin over the guys behind us, so hopefully it will be the four of us playing tomorrow [for the win].
“Our starts weren't great in Melbourne. [But] I hope they'll be better in this race; we have a very good KERS Hybrid system, so hopefully it will help us and we can really attack into Turn One. I'm looking forward to it – the weather has held off for the past two days. And if it's a dry race, we really should be able to take the race to the Red Bulls.”
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh meanwhile has paid tribute to the team for transforming the MP4-26 into a competitive stead after a difficult winter, although he too is praying for it to remain dry.
“Clearly, we're encouraged by our pace here – but there's no magic involved: F1 is all about hard graft, and I want to thank everyone back in Woking for working so hard to achieve the performance improvements that we've seen here today,” Whitmarsh continued.
“We think our race pace tomorrow ought to be good enough for us to mount a very serious challenge for victory, and that's certainly what we'll be aiming for. But it'll be close, no doubt about that.
“Since the race is scheduled to start at 4.00pm, rain is a distinct possibility, because there has been a downpour at that time on quite a few days earlier this week.
“But we hope it doesn't rain because we think we'll be on the pace if the race is a conventional dry one.”
Source: Crash.net
Jumat, 25 Maret 2011
Videos: Lewis Hamilton feeling 'fit and focused' and McLaren duo upbeat after fast Australian GP practice
McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are pleased with the progress their team have made ahead of the 2011 season, after the pair set the fastest times in practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne
Source: FiftyBuckss
Jense hopes to end career with McLaren
Jenson Button is ready to see out his Formula One career with McLaren
Button is in the second year of a multi-million pound three-season contract with the Woking-based team, and at present is so happy he believes they will be the last he works with.
Approaching the start of his 12th season overall in Formula One, after spells with Williams, Renault, BAR, Honda and Brawn, the 31-year-old has no intention of hanging up his driving gloves yet.
But as far as Button is concerned, given the enjoyment of working with a team he feels show him the ultimate respect, he can see no reason of driving for another team after McLaren.
"I've a few years that I still want to race in Formula One," said Button.
"I'm sure it will come to a point with me where I'll think 'Right, I don't want to do it any more, I want to do something else'.
"That point isn't yet, and I can't even imagine it happening yet.
"In fact, I can't imagine going somewhere else in Formula One after McLaren. I'm really happy here.
"When I was younger, at the start of my years in Formula One, I never thought I'd drive for McLaren.
"But now I'm here I feel very at home, strangely at home after one season. They've really welcomed me, and there's a good atmosphere."
After experiencing many lows during his career, such as the two wretched years with Renault and the problems he endured at Honda when their car ran towards the back of the grid, Button has been amazed by the honesty he has so far encountered within McLaren.
"When something goes wrong there is no finger-pointing. You talk about it," added Button.
"For instance, (technical director) Paddy (Lowe) will come up to me, and say 'I'm so sorry, this isn't what we want, and what we want you to see either. We're going to get back on track'.
"I'm not talking about this year as such, but there's such a great atmosphere here and they are such positive people.
"They really tell you what is happening. They don't keep you in the dark. They really involve you in everything they do.
"For me that is great. I love being involved in what is happening within a team. It's important to me that I'm not just doing the driving."
Source: Planet-F1
Button is in the second year of a multi-million pound three-season contract with the Woking-based team, and at present is so happy he believes they will be the last he works with.Approaching the start of his 12th season overall in Formula One, after spells with Williams, Renault, BAR, Honda and Brawn, the 31-year-old has no intention of hanging up his driving gloves yet.
But as far as Button is concerned, given the enjoyment of working with a team he feels show him the ultimate respect, he can see no reason of driving for another team after McLaren.
"I've a few years that I still want to race in Formula One," said Button.
"I'm sure it will come to a point with me where I'll think 'Right, I don't want to do it any more, I want to do something else'.
"That point isn't yet, and I can't even imagine it happening yet.
"In fact, I can't imagine going somewhere else in Formula One after McLaren. I'm really happy here.
"When I was younger, at the start of my years in Formula One, I never thought I'd drive for McLaren.
"But now I'm here I feel very at home, strangely at home after one season. They've really welcomed me, and there's a good atmosphere."
After experiencing many lows during his career, such as the two wretched years with Renault and the problems he endured at Honda when their car ran towards the back of the grid, Button has been amazed by the honesty he has so far encountered within McLaren.
"When something goes wrong there is no finger-pointing. You talk about it," added Button.
"For instance, (technical director) Paddy (Lowe) will come up to me, and say 'I'm so sorry, this isn't what we want, and what we want you to see either. We're going to get back on track'.
"I'm not talking about this year as such, but there's such a great atmosphere here and they are such positive people.
"They really tell you what is happening. They don't keep you in the dark. They really involve you in everything they do.
"For me that is great. I love being involved in what is happening within a team. It's important to me that I'm not just doing the driving."
Source: Planet-F1
Selasa, 22 Maret 2011
Jenson Button warns Lewis Hamilton against moving from McLaren
Lewis Hamilton has been warned by his McLaren team-mate that he is in for a shock if he quits the team in pursuit of another world championship.
With the new Formula One season just four days away Hamilton, who has been frustrated by McLaren's failure to produce a car capable of matching Red Bull and Ferrari, has told his employer that he is not prepared to go down in history as a one-title wonder.
But Jenson Button, who unlike Hamilton has experienced both the sides of paddock life, said: "It's Lewis's decision, but I think that he feels very much at home within this team and it might be a surprise for him going somewhere else. It would be a very different environment for him."
Hamilton, 26, knows nothing of Formula One life outside the sheltered, privileged world of McLaren, who he joined as a starry-eyed teenager, having first approached the former team principle Ron Dennis as a precociously gifted 11-year-old.
But after a sensational start to his F1 career, in which he almost won the title in his debut season in 2007 and then became the then youngest champion in 2008, he has suffered two frustrating years with the Woking-based team and looks set for a third after poor results in pre-season testing.
Button, 31,, who at 31 is five years older than Hamilton, added: "Lewis is going to be racing in Formula One for a lot longer than I will. Unless he decides he wants to give up and do something else.
"But I don't think he's thinking like that. I really think he's thinking that he's going to do the best job he can, and hopefully we'll all work together, which we are doing, to get the best out of what we've got."
The new McLaren MP4-26 has been described as "a mess" by the former driver Martin Brundle and both drivers struggled to pull it round the Barcelona circuit during pre-season testing. There have been problems both with reliability and a lack of pure speed.
Button added: "I haven't really run it on the race distance and I haven't run it on qualifying spec, so we still don't know [what the car can do], which in one way is frustrating but in another way is quite exciting.
"We're going to Melbourne and we might find that we've got a good package. Hopefully our reliability will be good when we get to there.
"It's been very difficult for the whole of the McLaren team. They've been working very, very hard. But I think everyone is feeling a lot more positive now. There's some interesting things in the pipeline and I think we're all looking forward to getting to Melbourne.
"We're a little bit apprehensive but also I think this team is a very strong team. They have found themselves in a difficult position before and they can fight their way out of it.
"That's exciting, but it's disappointing not to have really found the performance in the car because I haven't really done any set-up work. I have to admit that when I first jumped in the car my first reaction was not, 'Wow, we're going to blow everyone away'.
"I'm not going to lie.It hasn't been the best winter, and it's not the best way to go into a season.
"If you look at the mileage clocked up by Red Bull and Ferrari, we are a long way down. You'd say they're a good chunk in front of us. But there is no point in being negative about it, and down, at this point of the season."
Source: The Guardian
Sabtu, 19 Maret 2011
Button: Who knows? Maybe we can win
Jenson Button has not ruled out a third straight win in the Australian GP despite his new MP4-26's mediocre performance in pre-season testing
The 2009 Champion, in an interview with his team's official website, said: "Albert Park has been good to me: I've won there for the past two seasons.
"It's a great circuit for racing, it always seems to create unpredictable races.
"And, perhaps because it's habitually at the start of the season when a precise pecking order has yet to be established, we often see fast cars running out of sequence - and the excitement that that brings.
"With the added issue of multiple tyre stops, it could be a very exciting and unpredictable race weekend."
On his prospects for next Sunday's season-opener he added: "I'm regularly being asked if I can make it three wins in a row this year.
"On paper that might not look likely, but, seriously, who knows? I most definitely wouldn't rule it out."
He said he had added motivation this year after the triple trauma suffered by Japan of last Friday's earthquake, tsunami and radiation scare.
"I go to Melbourne this weekend resolving to not only try my best, but also to salute the brave people, and my many friends, throughout Japan."
His team-mate, fellow Briton and 2008 Champion Lewis Hamilton, conceded that on paper at least, McLaren faced a tough task to cope with the speed shown in testing by the likes of rivals Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
"We can't hide the fact that testing has been tougher than we expected," said Hamilton, who won at Albert Park in 2008.
"Our test mileage hasn't been as high as that of our rivals, nor have we had the outright pace of the fastest cars.
"Still, I have a good feeling with MP4-26: I like driving our car, I think it will look after its tyres quite well and I understand that we'll be making further performance steps ahead of this opening race.
"Nevertheless, we know we go to Melbourne ready for battle: some teams are extremely well prepared - both from a pace and reliability point of view - but that can sometimes count for little in the unpredictable and somewhat chaotic opening races where it's equally vital just to take points home.
"I strongly believe that, while our preparations haven't gone as smoothly as we'd have liked, I get the impression that we'll be arriving in Melbourne with everything finally meshing together - and that makes me really excited."
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh acknowledged that McLaren would not figure among the favourites to win in Melbourne, but he echoed his drivers' optimism that a decent showing was possible.
He said: "Do I think our testing pace is representative of the pace we'll show in Australia? No.
"Do I think we head into the weekend as race favourites? Unfortunately, no.
"But do I feel that we have the capacity to surprise a few people and be competitive? Very much so."
Source: Planet-F1
The 2009 Champion, in an interview with his team's official website, said: "Albert Park has been good to me: I've won there for the past two seasons."It's a great circuit for racing, it always seems to create unpredictable races.
"And, perhaps because it's habitually at the start of the season when a precise pecking order has yet to be established, we often see fast cars running out of sequence - and the excitement that that brings.
"With the added issue of multiple tyre stops, it could be a very exciting and unpredictable race weekend."
On his prospects for next Sunday's season-opener he added: "I'm regularly being asked if I can make it three wins in a row this year.
"On paper that might not look likely, but, seriously, who knows? I most definitely wouldn't rule it out."
He said he had added motivation this year after the triple trauma suffered by Japan of last Friday's earthquake, tsunami and radiation scare.
"I go to Melbourne this weekend resolving to not only try my best, but also to salute the brave people, and my many friends, throughout Japan."
His team-mate, fellow Briton and 2008 Champion Lewis Hamilton, conceded that on paper at least, McLaren faced a tough task to cope with the speed shown in testing by the likes of rivals Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
"We can't hide the fact that testing has been tougher than we expected," said Hamilton, who won at Albert Park in 2008.
"Our test mileage hasn't been as high as that of our rivals, nor have we had the outright pace of the fastest cars.
"Still, I have a good feeling with MP4-26: I like driving our car, I think it will look after its tyres quite well and I understand that we'll be making further performance steps ahead of this opening race.
"Nevertheless, we know we go to Melbourne ready for battle: some teams are extremely well prepared - both from a pace and reliability point of view - but that can sometimes count for little in the unpredictable and somewhat chaotic opening races where it's equally vital just to take points home.
"I strongly believe that, while our preparations haven't gone as smoothly as we'd have liked, I get the impression that we'll be arriving in Melbourne with everything finally meshing together - and that makes me really excited."
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh acknowledged that McLaren would not figure among the favourites to win in Melbourne, but he echoed his drivers' optimism that a decent showing was possible.
He said: "Do I think our testing pace is representative of the pace we'll show in Australia? No.
"Do I think we head into the weekend as race favourites? Unfortunately, no.
"But do I feel that we have the capacity to surprise a few people and be competitive? Very much so."
Source: Planet-F1
Jumat, 11 Maret 2011
Button: Japan crisis puts F1 into perspective
Jenson Button endured an agonising day in and out of the car on Friday as he anxiously waited to hear from his model girlfriend in Tokyo
The worst earthquake to hit Japan for 140 years, with a magnitude of 8.9 and sparking a massive tsunami, is expected to see a death toll of over 1,000 according to the Kyodo news agency.
It meant Button's final day of testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the new Formula One season effectively paled into insignificance for the 2009 World Champion.
As news of the devastation broke, Button found himself unable to contact girlfriend Jessica Michibata, who was doing a photoshoot in Japan's capital city when it was severely rocked by the quake.
It was only much later on in the day that Button finally learned the 26-year-old Japanese/Argentine was safe.
Asked if he had received news from Michibata before he got into the car, Button replied: "No, no. I couldn't speak to the missus, to Jessie, because the phone lines weren't working in Japan.
"So halfway through the day, the only way I could get in touch with her really was through Twitter. I found out that she was okay.
"She then sent me a text saying 'How's testing going?' It was like 'Honey, that's not really the most important thing at the moment. How are you? How are you feeling?'
"She's fine, very shaken. She was in Tokyo doing a photoshoot in a studio underground so it was pretty horrific. I think the whole of Tokyo was pretty shaken.
"Hopefully she's fast asleep now. I'll see her on Sunday evening or Monday in Australia."
Expressing his sympathies to the Japanese people caught up in the tragedy, Button added: "It (the earthquake) is something they are used to, but still it's the biggest they have ever had.
"It's pretty horrendous, devastating and it's bad for Tokyo, but really bad for Sendai. A tsunami there has wiped out most of it.
"It's horrific footage you'll probably see on TV, so my heart and thoughts go out to all of the people affected.
"Motorsport is one thing, but something like that happening is so much bigger than the problems we have here today."
As for those problems with his McLaren, Button spent a considerable amount of time looking on from the sidelines as an engine had to be changed, further underlining the reliability issues plaguing the team.
The 30-year-old eventually finished 13th of the 14 drivers on show, just over 4.3secs adrift of seven-times Champion Michael Schumacher in a beefed-up Mercedes complete with a raft of updates.
Button has yet to complete a single race distance in the new car, which he admits is far from ideal heading into the season, with the opening Australian Grand Prix a fortnight away.
Asked as to what the team could do, Button said: "The best job we possibly can. I don't know what that will be or the result out of it.
"But no, it hasn't been the best winter. A lot of it is down to mileage, so we haven't had time to really set up the car.
"I'm not going to lie. It's not the best way to go into the season, but there is no point getting negative about it and down at this point.
"We've got to pick ourselves up, be positive, sort the problems out and turn up in Melbourne, hopefully with a much more reliable car."
Convinced McLaren will crack the issues that have blighted testing, he added: "We've got to forget about where we stand at the moment compared to the others.
"We have to get our heads down and move this thing forward because this isn't where McLaren should be, or where McLaren will be for long because there's a great bunch of people here.
"We are all working as hard as we can to hopefully resolve some of the issues and turn up in Melbourne with an even stronger package."
Source: Planet-F1
The worst earthquake to hit Japan for 140 years, with a magnitude of 8.9 and sparking a massive tsunami, is expected to see a death toll of over 1,000 according to the Kyodo news agency.It meant Button's final day of testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the new Formula One season effectively paled into insignificance for the 2009 World Champion.
As news of the devastation broke, Button found himself unable to contact girlfriend Jessica Michibata, who was doing a photoshoot in Japan's capital city when it was severely rocked by the quake.
It was only much later on in the day that Button finally learned the 26-year-old Japanese/Argentine was safe.
Asked if he had received news from Michibata before he got into the car, Button replied: "No, no. I couldn't speak to the missus, to Jessie, because the phone lines weren't working in Japan.
"So halfway through the day, the only way I could get in touch with her really was through Twitter. I found out that she was okay.
"She then sent me a text saying 'How's testing going?' It was like 'Honey, that's not really the most important thing at the moment. How are you? How are you feeling?'
"She's fine, very shaken. She was in Tokyo doing a photoshoot in a studio underground so it was pretty horrific. I think the whole of Tokyo was pretty shaken.
"Hopefully she's fast asleep now. I'll see her on Sunday evening or Monday in Australia."
Expressing his sympathies to the Japanese people caught up in the tragedy, Button added: "It (the earthquake) is something they are used to, but still it's the biggest they have ever had.
"It's pretty horrendous, devastating and it's bad for Tokyo, but really bad for Sendai. A tsunami there has wiped out most of it.
"It's horrific footage you'll probably see on TV, so my heart and thoughts go out to all of the people affected.
"Motorsport is one thing, but something like that happening is so much bigger than the problems we have here today."
As for those problems with his McLaren, Button spent a considerable amount of time looking on from the sidelines as an engine had to be changed, further underlining the reliability issues plaguing the team.
The 30-year-old eventually finished 13th of the 14 drivers on show, just over 4.3secs adrift of seven-times Champion Michael Schumacher in a beefed-up Mercedes complete with a raft of updates.
Button has yet to complete a single race distance in the new car, which he admits is far from ideal heading into the season, with the opening Australian Grand Prix a fortnight away.
Asked as to what the team could do, Button said: "The best job we possibly can. I don't know what that will be or the result out of it.
"But no, it hasn't been the best winter. A lot of it is down to mileage, so we haven't had time to really set up the car.
"I'm not going to lie. It's not the best way to go into the season, but there is no point getting negative about it and down at this point.
"We've got to pick ourselves up, be positive, sort the problems out and turn up in Melbourne, hopefully with a much more reliable car."
Convinced McLaren will crack the issues that have blighted testing, he added: "We've got to forget about where we stand at the moment compared to the others.
"We have to get our heads down and move this thing forward because this isn't where McLaren should be, or where McLaren will be for long because there's a great bunch of people here.
"We are all working as hard as we can to hopefully resolve some of the issues and turn up in Melbourne with an even stronger package."
Source: Planet-F1
Rabu, 09 Maret 2011
JENSON BUTTON’S BEST IS NOT ENOUGH YET
Jenson Button emerged from his McLaren a far happier man today but still believing Red Bull and Ferrari will be ahead of the pack come the opening Grand Prix in Australia
Since unveiling their latest car, the MP4-26, much later than their rivals, McLaren have endured teething problems which have resulted in a lack of time on track in the past two tests.
But on the first day of the final pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Button finished second quickest, just over three tenths of a second behind Red Bull’s Mark Webber.
Button said: “It hasn’t been quite the best start to the year in terms of testing, mileage, reliability and also pace.
“I’d be surprised if we can really match the Red Bull and the Ferrari when we get to Melbourne.
“That’s a big ask considering the mileage we have done compared to them and the pace in the last tests compared to them.
“But never say never. We have made some good progress and I am happy with what we have achieved.”
Button now has just one more day in the McLaren ahead of the first practice session of the season around Melbourne’s Albert Park on March 25.
Source: Daily Express
Since unveiling their latest car, the MP4-26, much later than their rivals, McLaren have endured teething problems which have resulted in a lack of time on track in the past two tests.But on the first day of the final pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Button finished second quickest, just over three tenths of a second behind Red Bull’s Mark Webber.
Button said: “It hasn’t been quite the best start to the year in terms of testing, mileage, reliability and also pace.
“I’d be surprised if we can really match the Red Bull and the Ferrari when we get to Melbourne.
“That’s a big ask considering the mileage we have done compared to them and the pace in the last tests compared to them.
“But never say never. We have made some good progress and I am happy with what we have achieved.”
Button now has just one more day in the McLaren ahead of the first practice session of the season around Melbourne’s Albert Park on March 25.
Source: Daily Express
Minggu, 06 Maret 2011
JENSON BUTTON: KIDS CAN SLOW YOU DOWN
Jenson Button will not have a family until his Formula One career is over, in case it distracts him from chasing his goals
Button heads into the new season determined to regain the title he had to concede to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel last season and he laughs at the idea that, having just turned 31, his attitude to racing at 200mph might change.
“No, when I have kids it will change but not yet,” says Button, who is dating model Jessica Michibata. “That’s one reason why I don’t want to have kids while I am racing. It’s not worth the risk.
“Also, you don’t get enough time to spend with them. It hasn’t crept in yet. I will stop when it does. If you start feeling fearful of pushing the car to the limit, you have got to stop. There is no point.”
Button and Lewis Hamilton head to the final F1 test in Barcelona this week before the start of the season in Australia on March 27, both hoping to see improvements in pace and reliability to get closer to Red Bull and Ferrari.
The McLaren car may not be up to the challenge yet but Button dismisses the idea that Vettel will be more ravenous for success because of an eight-year age difference.
“He won’t be any hungrier than I am,” says Button. “I’m as fit as I have ever been. Mentally? We have to make sure we are mentally strong and make sure everyone in the team is focused and positive.”
He won’t rule out Michael Schumacher as a contender either, even though the seven times champion is now 42 years old.
Suggest that Schumacher has lost raw pace and Button says: “I don’t agree with that at all.
“I think he is not happy with the car. Look at NASCAR, where you have guys in their 50s still winning.
“I know it is very different but you need to have a good reaction, a good eye.
“As long as his fitness levels are good – and his are pretty damn good – he is fine.”
Source: EXPRESS.CO.UK
Button heads into the new season determined to regain the title he had to concede to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel last season and he laughs at the idea that, having just turned 31, his attitude to racing at 200mph might change.“No, when I have kids it will change but not yet,” says Button, who is dating model Jessica Michibata. “That’s one reason why I don’t want to have kids while I am racing. It’s not worth the risk.
“Also, you don’t get enough time to spend with them. It hasn’t crept in yet. I will stop when it does. If you start feeling fearful of pushing the car to the limit, you have got to stop. There is no point.”
Button and Lewis Hamilton head to the final F1 test in Barcelona this week before the start of the season in Australia on March 27, both hoping to see improvements in pace and reliability to get closer to Red Bull and Ferrari.
The McLaren car may not be up to the challenge yet but Button dismisses the idea that Vettel will be more ravenous for success because of an eight-year age difference.
“He won’t be any hungrier than I am,” says Button. “I’m as fit as I have ever been. Mentally? We have to make sure we are mentally strong and make sure everyone in the team is focused and positive.”
He won’t rule out Michael Schumacher as a contender either, even though the seven times champion is now 42 years old.
Suggest that Schumacher has lost raw pace and Button says: “I don’t agree with that at all.
“I think he is not happy with the car. Look at NASCAR, where you have guys in their 50s still winning.
“I know it is very different but you need to have a good reaction, a good eye.
“As long as his fitness levels are good – and his are pretty damn good – he is fine.”
Source: EXPRESS.CO.UK
Rabu, 02 Maret 2011
McLaren duo admit car is not up to scratch
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have confirmed what most people have been suspecting: the MP4-26 is not up to scratch just yet
The two McLaren drivers had a lot of reliability issues with their new car during the first three winter tests and as a result didn't get enough mileage under the belts. With only one more pre-season test to come in Barcelona, McLaren will have their work cut out for them.
Button admits he had concerns about the MP4-26 pretty much from the word go.
"When I first jumped in the car my first reaction was not 'wow, we're going to blow everyone away'," Button told Press Association Sport.
"But then I don't think anyone would have felt that because the car has a lot less downforce and the tyres (Pirelli) are working very differently to the previous tyre (Bridgestone).
"There's nothing that really scares me about the car in a negative way, so there's a lot we can improve through general set-up work.
"This year, at the moment, we've had some issues in testing in terms of getting parts to the circuit and a couple of reliability issues.
"So we've not done as much running as we would have liked, which has hurt our set-up work.
"But we do have four more days and hopefully things are going to run more sweetly at the next test, we get a lot of laps in, and then we can improve the base we have."
Team-mate Hamilton concedes that they probably left their car launch a little too light.
"The team are aware of it, and of course we'd love to have had more mileage, but there is a real balance," he said.
"We left it (unveiling the car) a bit later, not because the car was late, but because we wanted a week or two more to develop it, and perhaps it's not played right into our hands.
"We've good things in the pipeline, and we definitely improved in the last couple of days' testing, doing 107 laps on the final day at the last test.
"We've not done the mileage at the beginning, but hopefully we can pick up on reliability, and that the downforce is on its way."
The 2008 World Champion added that there were some similarities between the 2009 car and the 2011 model when it comes to downforce.
"The '09 car was terrible as it was hopping, three-wheeling through corners, locking up, and it had no downforce," he said.
"This car doesn't lock up, it doesn't three-wheel, and it handles really nice, better than last year's car, but it just doesn't have as much downforce.
"Because the regulations have changed, it's a similar downforce level to '09.
"We have a little more, but it's not far off, so it feels weak in that area. Hopefully we've more downforce coming onto the car."
Source: Planet-F1
The two McLaren drivers had a lot of reliability issues with their new car during the first three winter tests and as a result didn't get enough mileage under the belts. With only one more pre-season test to come in Barcelona, McLaren will have their work cut out for them.Button admits he had concerns about the MP4-26 pretty much from the word go.
"When I first jumped in the car my first reaction was not 'wow, we're going to blow everyone away'," Button told Press Association Sport.
"But then I don't think anyone would have felt that because the car has a lot less downforce and the tyres (Pirelli) are working very differently to the previous tyre (Bridgestone).
"There's nothing that really scares me about the car in a negative way, so there's a lot we can improve through general set-up work.
"This year, at the moment, we've had some issues in testing in terms of getting parts to the circuit and a couple of reliability issues.
"So we've not done as much running as we would have liked, which has hurt our set-up work.
"But we do have four more days and hopefully things are going to run more sweetly at the next test, we get a lot of laps in, and then we can improve the base we have."
Team-mate Hamilton concedes that they probably left their car launch a little too light.
"The team are aware of it, and of course we'd love to have had more mileage, but there is a real balance," he said.
"We left it (unveiling the car) a bit later, not because the car was late, but because we wanted a week or two more to develop it, and perhaps it's not played right into our hands.
"We've good things in the pipeline, and we definitely improved in the last couple of days' testing, doing 107 laps on the final day at the last test.
"We've not done the mileage at the beginning, but hopefully we can pick up on reliability, and that the downforce is on its way."
The 2008 World Champion added that there were some similarities between the 2009 car and the 2011 model when it comes to downforce.
"The '09 car was terrible as it was hopping, three-wheeling through corners, locking up, and it had no downforce," he said.
"This car doesn't lock up, it doesn't three-wheel, and it handles really nice, better than last year's car, but it just doesn't have as much downforce.
"Because the regulations have changed, it's a similar downforce level to '09.
"We have a little more, but it's not far off, so it feels weak in that area. Hopefully we've more downforce coming onto the car."
Source: Planet-F1
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