Friday: A good work day for Button and Pérez at McLaren

Jenson Button – 14th and 7th

« This morning was mainly about getting used to the circuit while conducting aerodynamic tests on the car. This afternoon the car was better, but it’s strange to see the big differences there seem to be between the types of tires. There was about a 3-second gap between the Primes and the Options! On the long runs at the end of free practice 2, the Option tire seemed good, but as soon as we put on the Prime tire, there was less grip and we struggled to get a good balance. So overall, I’m quite happy with my seventh position. I wouldn’t mind being in that spot on the grid actually. I don’t think it’s too bad for us at the moment. »

Sergio Perez – 8th and 10th

« It was an interesting day for testing the two Pirelli compounds. This is the first time this year that we’ve had such a difference between the two compounds – almost 3 seconds – which made achieving the right balance quite difficult. In many ways, this circuit is completely different from any other track we have visited so far this season. That said, we are using an aerodynamic package very similar to what we had in Hungary, and we hope to be reasonably competitive in this configuration. Unlike Hungary, however, this is an urban circuit, which means the driver can sometimes make a big difference on a single qualifying lap, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow for that reason. »