Friday: Button and Magnussen in Trouble at McLaren
The day was not particularly impressive for Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen, as both men faced difficulties: the former is complaining about a lack of aerodynamic downforce and the latter about the degradation of the rear tires. However, they believe the evening could turn things around.
Jenson Button (No. 22) – 4th and 8th
Overall, the Briton’s day was not ideal, particularly in terms of aerodynamic support in the large curves of the Sepang track: « It was difficult today, especially with the heat. We are not as strong as we would like to be in the fast corners – and when you have downforce issues, they are further amplified by the high temperatures. So, our long stints were tricky, in terms of both tire compounds and absolute pace. »
He believes, however, that the new pieces brought in have had a positive contribution: « We will now analyze the data, but the improvements made here seem to give us something – so it’s encouraging – but there is still a lot of work to be done. »
Finally, he doesn’t fail to put the timesheet into perspective while reaffirming the MP4-29’s race stint issues: « I’m sure people are excited about the times, but they don’t matter as much here because you can overtake. It’s the long stints that need to be analyzed, and that’s where we find difficulties. »
Kevin Magnussen (No. 20) – 5th and 12th
On the Danish side, the first day of testing in Kuala Lumpur was an opportunity for a new experience: « I have never driven in such weather conditions, so I learned a lot today. » He learned that managing the tires would be crucial on the Malaysian circuit: « The tires really suffer, but it’s the same for everyone, so we must try to overcome these things before tomorrow’s sessions. I’m trying to set up the car to protect the rear tires. »
« There is always something you can improve, and we currently have a lot of things to look into and a lot of data to sift through tonight. For me, rear tire overheating is the biggest issue: they behave very differently from Australia, so that will focus my attention, » he added.
He believes that the evening could turn the tables before Saturday: « Still, I am convinced that we can make some useful changes to the car for tomorrow. »
