Button praises McLaren's Melbourne strategy

After a disastrous 2013 season, McLaren starts the new year with a bang by placing its two drivers on the podium of the Australian Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen taking second place for his first Grand Prix while Jenson Button climbed to the last step (after the exclusion of Daniel Ricciardo). “Kevin was incredible today. I really enjoyed chasing him and Daniel at the end of the race, but my tires had a few more laps than theirs.", comments the 2009 world champion. “The balance of the car was not optimal when I was in traffic, I had understeer when following a car, but the car worked great when I had space. »

Jenson Button managed to move up the standings largely with his two timely stops, the first having been made just before the entry of the safety car following contact with Valtteri Bottas with the wall in the 11th round. “It seems that overtaking has become more difficult than it was and we had to do it during the stops. We damaged the nose of the car during the second stop and then it was a little cooler in the cockpit. The team did a superb job calling me at the right time. I entered the pits at the last moment when the safety car entered the track, which allowed me to gain a few positions (from 9th to 6th place). The team can be proud of their work today. We didn't expect to be at the top of the Manufacturers' Championship, but the car's performance is there. We can fight with all teams with clean air, except one (Mercedes). "

Discover the analysis of the Australian Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 1952 of AUTOhebdo, available from tomorrow evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.