Button remains cautious about McLaren's performance

Jenson Button showed himself to his advantage during the first day of testing for the Australian Grand Prix as the Briton achieved the fifth fastest time, eight tenths behind the reference time established by Lewis Hamilton. The 2009 world champion benefited from good reliability from his MP4-29 and V6 Mercedes even if the resident of the stable Woking must adapt to the management of its new car at Albert Park where he won three times.

“These cars are working better than I expected, but it will be very different in Sunday’s race.”, warns Jenson Button who covered 53 laps on the first day. “The long runs weren't as fun as I hoped because we have to conserve a lot of fuel. The driving is also very different: the car slides quickly and many things can waste time on a lap. On the other hand, it’s a lot of fun to drive on low fuel. »

Jenson Button also believes that the MP4-29 should be further back in the hierarchy. “The balance of the car is not yet optimal. We are still struggling in the fast corners. We seem reasonably competitive in the slow corners and our electronic systems work well. I don't think our pace is as good as it looks on the time sheet, but we have a good understanding of the car. »

The final free practice session for the Australian Grand Prix will take place from 4 a.m. French time and can be followed live on AUTOhebdo.fr. Discover the photos of the tests on this link.