Button: MP4-28 feels better but pace isn’t there

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

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Jenson Button says McLaren are making progress with their MP4-28 but warned there is no quick fix for the car’s problems.

“Today we got through a decent amount of satisfactory work, and we duly gathered some more useful info about MP4-28.

“On a dry track it feels better than it did in Melbourne, but even then its pace still isn’t there compared with that of the front-running cars.

“We’ve identified some further improvements that we can make before tomorrow, though, which is encouraging, and it’s been a good day in terms of learning.”

During practice Button mentioned the car’s ride, one of its major weaknesses, seemed to have improved. He ended second practice in 12th place, almost 1.3 seconds slower than Kimi Raikkonen.

Team mate Sergio Perez said the team could do with more of today’s rain during the rest of the weekend: “Although it felt better on a dry track today than it did in Melbourne, it would still probably qualify and race a bit better on a wet track than on a dry track, relative to our opposition, so we won’t be upset if it rains quite a bit over the next couple of days.”

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

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Image © McLaren/Hoch Zwei

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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6 comments on “Button: MP4-28 feels better but pace isn’t there”

  1. I don’t remember the last time the McLaren pairing hoping a wet race…

    1. 2009? That was a dog of a car too!

      1. Most of the ’11 season when Red Bull were aeons faster than anyone else

        1. I was just going to say the same @timi, its funny how we forget about only 2 years back!

  2. There never is a quick fix is there Jenson…

  3. It’s always a bad sign when a team sacrifices the front wing downforce to get a better balance at the rear, a situation very similar to last years cars.

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