Jenson Button remains convinced that McLaren could be the pacesetter before the end of this season.
Button maintains that the decision to go radical relative to the 2012 car will pay off in the long term as the MP4-28 has more development potential than rivals. McLaren opted for a higher nose and revised suspension over the winter.
“It’s so easy for people after Melbourne to say let’s go to last year’s car,” said Jenson when asked by this writer. “I think even from my point of view it’s really difficult to not think like that, because the last race of the year we were quickest – the last few races we were quickest. But what we have done with the car I think is the right thing. It’s hurt us a lot, especially at the first race, and it might still here and in Bahrain.
“But the idea was to have a car that we could develop through the season. We felt that at the end of last year we were at the end of everything with last year’s car. I think the one thing that surprised is that we’re the only one that’s gone our route – we’re the only team to do that. We expected all of the top teams to do the same thing, so we didn’t think we would have lost anything at the first race.
“We thought the smaller teams would keep the same tub, go the same direction, and slightly improve through the winter – and they would be competitive at the first race. We didn’t expect most teams, or all teams apart from us, to go in the same direction. That’s what’s hurt us, and it’s hurt us in terms of a lot of points. But the championship is still completely open, there are still 17 races to go, and if we can turn it around in a few races and be fighting at the front that’s every encouraging for the rest of the season.”
Asked if he was worried if others could still develop faster he said: “I don’t think they will.”
Adam Cooper F1 