Button: “More integrated into the team”

At the dawn of a new season, when you look back on 2010, what has changed for you at McLaren, now that you have spent 12 months there?
Last year felt like a season of learning for me. This may seem strange, but it?s the truth. It was a very good learning year, but my goal was to learn the way the McLaren team works and races. I bagged two of the best victories of my career and ended the season with a great race in Abu Dhabi, at the end of which I got on the podium. Then I threw myself head first into 2011. I had a good break this winter. I've been training a lot, and I now feel fitter and more relaxed than I ever have heading into a new season. Although there were no problems last year, I feel more integrated into the team. And I think that's a big plus.

What are your first feelings about your car from 2011?
It's still too early to tell because I only spent two days in the car and the second day was not as productive as we hoped. However, it seems that the base is good, but no one will have a clear idea of ​​where he stands until the Bahrain qualifiers.

The team made the decision to start testing with the old car, before using the new one at Jerez. Taking into account that the MP4-26 will start the season with one session less than its rivals, what do you think?
I think it was the best thing to do. Not only because we saved a few days in the wind tunnel, but because it allowed us to test the Pirellis with a car that we already knew very well. We were therefore able to learn a lot, and quickly, about the behavior of the tires. Already knowing the car, we were able to see the changes in settings that these new tires caused.

Have you managed to get an idea of ​​your own performance level and that of the other teams or are the times achieved in winter testing only very insignificant?
Nowadays, it is more difficult than ever to get an idea. There are four different tires, you can run with 20 kg of gasoline or even 120 kg, you can use the SREC, you can use the movable rear wing? It is almost impossible to look at a lap time and say under what conditions this time was achieved. It is obviously difficult not to look at the timesheet and say to yourself that it does not give a real idea of ​​performance. There's an old saying that the clock never lies. He's the one you rely on throughout the season, but that's not the case in testing. But I quite like mystery. It makes the first race even more exciting.

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