Button: “Our first big problem of the winter”

McLaren seemed to be one of the most reliable teams, the MP4-29 being notably powered by the V6 Mercedes, but the day did not go as hoped for the Woking team. Jenson Button was sidelined from the track for more than four hours following a serious gearbox problem. The 2009 world champion was only able to complete 52 laps or 281km, achieving the fifth fastest time of the day. “The repairs took a long time, like any part of the engine block.”, regrets the Briton. “Despite everything, we were able to return to the track at the end running without encountering any new problems, which is already a good thing. It’s a shame to waste so much time, especially since this is our first big problem of the winter. »

Despite this partly wasted day, Jenson Button remains optimistic by highlighting the potential of the MP4-29. “We were still able to complete long stints with a lot of fuel on board this afternoon”, underlines the former world champion. “The basics of car are good and they offer good potential even if there is still a lot of work to be done. We have a good understanding of the engine block and we are able to push it to its limits. But the car is not yet optimized in terms of balance and grip. But I know we have some great improvements in the pipeline that should help us narrow the gap to the front of the grid. »

Results of day 6 in Bahrain

1. Sergio Pérez? Force India? 1'35"570? 108 rounds
2. Fernando Alonso ? Ferrari +0 »064 ? 122 rounds
3. Daniel Ricciardo ? Red Bull +0 »173 ? 66 rounds
4. Felipe Massa? Williams +0 »937 ? 104 rounds
5. Jenson Button? McLaren +1 »331? 52 rounds
6. Jules Bianchi? Marussia +2 »522? 75 rounds
7. Lewis Hamilton ? Mercedes +3 »471? 89 rounds
8. Vergne? Toro Rosso +4 »066 ? 61 rounds
9. Esteban Gutiérrez? Sauber +4 »406? 106 rounds
10. Pastor Maldonado? Lotus +6 »043 ? 31 rounds
11. Marcus Ericsson? Caterham +6 »946? 55 rounds