McLaren struggling with 2013 car - Button
McLaren is struggling to "understand where the car is".
Feb.22 (GMM) Jenson Button has admitted McLaren is grappling with its new car for 2013.
Unlike most other main rivals, notably Red Bull and Ferrari, McLaren - whose British driver Button won the 2012 finale in Brazil - did not simply 'evolve' last year's car for the new season.
Red Bull's outspoken Dr Helmut Marko said this week he didn't understand why McLaren changed so much between 2012 and 2013.
At times it feels good, at others it doesn't.
Mark Webber agrees: "This sport is hard enough - and the cars difficult enough to understand technically - without taking risks unnecessarily."
Indeed, things are going well in the Red Bull camp.
"I'm very happy with the car, with the balance, how it feels," Germany's SID news agency quotes world champion Sebastian Vettel as saying.
McLaren's contrasting philosophy, however, was that development of the 2012 concept was almost exhausted, and so a new base was necessary.
Button explained that, had the Woking team simply evolved the MP4-27, "I think after three or four races you would realise that you're at the end of the development curve with it".
The problem right now, though, is that McLaren is struggling to "understand where the car is".
Button continued: "At times it feels good, at others it doesn't."
There are whispers in the paddock that arguably the best-performing car at the present moment is the evolved Lotus.
"It (Lotus' pace) certainly was not bad," Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport.
"But Lotus was also good here during winter testing last year."
McLaren's Button thinks it's too early to say if there's a standout performer in 2013.
"I don't know," he said. "All I know is that no one is massively standing out."
Share Or Save This Story
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Romain Grosjean apologises to McLaren after controversial, unfounded comments
Winners and losers from the IndyCar doubleheader at Milwaukee
Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean talk on pit road after Milwaukee clash
Charles Leclerc: “McLaren and Red Bull did a step forward that we didn’t do”
Who slept worst last night: Lewis Hamilton
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
Alpine makes statement as Franco Colapinto-related abuse accelerates
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's most notable moments at Kansas Speedway
Alpine lost Fuji WEC victory by 0.591s because it “didn’t want to sacrifice a car”
Charles Leclerc: “McLaren and Red Bull did a step forward that we didn’t do”
Why Mercedes is still quicker than McLaren
Baku late-race chaos almost costs George Russell victory over Max Verstappen
How George Russell claimed his career-best pole margin in F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments