That has left virtually everyone on the grid playing guessing games as to how
Sunday’s season-opening race in Australia will pan out, including veteran
Button.
“I think this year’s Australian Grand Prix is going to be an absolutely
fascinating sporting contest,” said Button.
“Even with stable regulations, Melbourne is usually unpredictable.
“This year, I don’t think anybody knows quite what to expect – will we see
more than half the field at the end of the race? Will we see good, close
racing? Will the pecking order pan out as we expect?
“Those are all questions we’ve yet to see answered, and part of what makes for
such a fun weekend.”
Button at least believes McLaren have a reasonable platform on which to build
their campaign this season as opposed to last year when they built what can
only be described as a dog of a car which whined its way through the year.
The signs have predominantly been encouraging, even if the 34-year-old
struggled in the final test in Bahrain to clock up the laps, but he remains
upbeat.
“In terms of performance, while there’s plenty of potential within the car, we
still think it’ll take a little time to unlock that promise,” said Button.
“It’s not quite where we’d like it to be, so I don’t think we go to Melbourne
with a package that accurately reflects our progress with the car – it’ll
take a little longer for that to become apparent. In general, this season is
going to be all about continuous development.
“Our stated aim has always been to try and scoop up a useful haul of points
from the opening races – by virtue of solid engineering and good reliability
– and then to quickly refine and develop the package, and deliver further
performance in due course.
“Nonetheless, I do think the potential is there: the car has given us what
last year’s didn’t – namely, a reliable and predictable platform upon which
we can build and develop.
“In every respect, this year’s car feels different to last year’s, and that
makes me excited, which is exactly as things should be as you head off for
the first race of the year.”