“It’s been a very mixed day,” Button said. “With the first day of testing
there is so much excitement within the team, but for us the excitement was
very short-lived, doing three laps this morning and having the fuel-pump
issue. It’s never what you want at the start of a test, but it’s better to
have it at the start than at the end so we can solve the issue.”
Button added that he had been pleasantly surprised by his subsequent pace but
cautioned that times meant nothing at this stage. “I don’t know how I did
that time. I think I cut the chicane at the end. But lap times mean nothing
right now, and they won’t mean anything at the last test. It’s all about the
first race when we will have a very different car, as every team will.”
Britain’s newest Formula One driver, Marussia’s 21-year-old Max Chilton, was
also in the wars, his day ending in a gravel trap after a spin caused by a
rear-suspension failure.
Chilton, who disclosed that he had been so excited about making his bow that
he had been unable to sleep, will be back in the cockpit on Wednesday as
Marussia are yet to name their second driver.
Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone has announced a five-year branding deal with
Emirates airline, estimated to be worth around £115 million.