Friday: Button and Magnussen Perform Well but Remain Cautious for McLaren F1

Jenson Button (No. 22) – 3rd and 6th

The MP4-29 was comfortable with a full fuel load, whether on Prime or Option tires, even though the experienced Englishman admits to still lacking balance in the qualifying configuration, which he hopes to rectify by tomorrow.

He remains reserved regarding the good performance this Friday: « It’s a circuit that seems to suit us reasonably well at the moment. But that will inevitably change tomorrow, and we need to be very careful about it. »

Then he explains: « Some places are a bit bumpy, but that adds to the challenge. Turn 13 is particularly bumpy on entry, and your front left wheel is relieved, so it’s very easy to lock that wheel when braking; it’s quite tricky, so we need to make sure to adjust the brake balance properly. »

He, of course, also thinks about the young man from Nice who has been fighting in Japan for 5 days: « Finally, as Kevin says, our thoughts and prayers are with Jules, who we all miss very much. »

Kevin Magnussen (No. 20) – 5th and 2nd

Despite a promising result, the Dane prefers to be cautious about a further forecast: « It was a fairly decent day for us today. However, it’s a brand-new track, so it’s hard to be really sure of our position, as we’ve mainly worked on setup rather than pure pace. »

On the other hand, he has no trouble saying that he appreciates this new track: « However, I can confirm that it’s a good circuit, there is quite a bit of grip, the surface is quite good, and it seems to suit the Pirelli tires well, so it’s quite enjoyable to drive. Moreover, the Option [tires] seem to last quite a long time, so we shouldn’t have many pit stops during the race. »

He keeps a thought for his seriously injured colleague: « Finally, and it is far from the least important, Jules is very much in our thoughts, we all still think of him and hope everything goes as well as possible. »