2009 Champion thinks car is even better suited to Hockenheim
Thursday 17 July 2014 21:05, UK
After a strong showing at the British GP, Jenson Button is confident McLaren can pick up where they left off in Germany on a track he believes suits their car even better than Silverstone did.
More signs that the Woking team are turning the corner after a largely difficult season to date came a fortnight ago when Button finished fourth in his home race after qualifying third on the grid.
Speaking on Thursday, the 2009 World Champion once again expressed a measure of surprise at just how well the MP4-29 had performed at Silverstone, “a high-speed circuit with changes of direction – not something that really is the strength of this car”.
According to Button, McLaren have more reason to be hopeful this weekend. “The aerodynamic package we had on definitely improved the balance and we have a few things here again which should help on this type of circuit, which is obviously slower, more traction and braking zones, which is probably a bit more of a strength of our car,” he reasoned.
After the upgrade package McLaren had initially planned to debut at the British GP was delivered one race early in Austria, Button also confirmed the same plan for this weekend.
“You always try and bring things as quick as you can anyway,” he said. “The update was supposed to be for Silverstone but it was for Austria; we have something here that’s just about going to make it – tomorrow afternoon, I think – so I’ll have it on the car Saturday and [team-mate] Kevin [Magnussen] will have it on the car tomorrow.
“That was supposed to be for Hungary so that’s great as well. So everything is coming forward, which is nice to see.”
Button also has a new race engineer this weekend after McLaren decided to move Dave Robson – who had performed the role since 2010 – to their factory and promote data engineer Tom Stallard.
Explaining the move, he added: “I think it’s also giving people more race-side experience because it’s very easy for young guys at the factory that have an engineering background and have just come out of university to sit at the factory and be told, ‘You should do this’.
“But when you’re actually at the circuit, when you’re experiencing it first-hand, it’s sometimes very different. So it’s useful for people to gain a lot of experience at the circuit.
“It’s just part of a re-shuffle; it’s not taking people out or putting people in because we think they’re better or worse.”
Watch the 2014 German GP live only on Sky Sports F1. Extensive from Hockenheim begins with Friday Practice from 8:45am on July 18.
