Button: “It would have been pointless to drive in Bahrain&”;
Jenson Button, back to cope with Fernando Alonso's absence, is obviously the star attraction at Monaco this weekend. He knows his preparation is imperfect, but feels it would have been pointless to take part in the Bahrain test.
One of the big questions following Jenson Button’s decision to replace Fernando Alonso was that the Briton did not complete a single lap in the MCL32 before his return to competition.
Questioned on the subject in Monaco, the Briton simply stated that he thought it was unnecessary: « Obviously, I didn’t drive the car. It’s not ideal but the alternative was to do half a day of testing in Bahrain. It would have been pointless because the circuit is so different that it wouldn’t have served any purpose. » He therefore preferred to opt for the modern strategy, which involves logging laps in the McLaren simulator.
The 2009 champion was even less inclined to spend the day in the Middle East as he feels no pressure to bring back points during the weekend: « Absolutely none! I’m very excited, I’ve won here, I’ve driven here for 17 years, I have enough experience. » He then engaged in a British humor exercise that he is known for: « I would have been here anyway. Instead of drinking champagne, I’ll be able to drive a race car all weekend! »
Given that he also won in the streets of the Principality, the question could be whether he was considering following Fernando Alonso’s example and competing in the Indianapolis 500, or Nico Hülkenberg’s: participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He thus leaned more towards the French race and even expressed surprise that Fernando Alonso embarked on this transatlantic venture.
For Jenson Button, one thing is certain: after his fleeting return to Monaco, he will focus on his other passion: triathlon. While he knows he’s too old to play a leading role against the professionals in this sport, he intends to give it his all to perform as well as possible.
Look who’s back… 👀 pic.twitter.com/q3GwL2ouFW
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) 24 mai 2017
From our special correspondent in Monaco
