Saturday: Lost Bet for Button at McLaren
McLaren is falling back in Malaysia. The MP4-29 is difficult in the rain. Furthermore, with Kevin Magnussen's lack of experience with wet tires and a gamble by Button in Q3 that didn't pay off, the Woking team finishes laboriously in the top 10.
Kevin Magnussen (No. 20) – no time and 8th
The Danish rookie paid the price for a lack of experience: « The car isn’t too bad in rainy conditions, but I think our timing wasn’t very good. I’m still learning about intermediate and rain tires, so it was difficult for me to make the right choice this afternoon. »
For the race, he doesn’t expect miracles but will do his best: « Eighth, it’s not bad but it’s not good either. It’s not completely satisfying because it’s not our goal. I think we can do a good job tomorrow. The pace is probably not enough yet to fight for the win but we’ll be there. »
Jenson Button (No. 22) – 21st and 10th
The English veteran made a gamble on the tires that didn’t pay off: « The decision to go on intermediates in Q3 was mine. I’m used to making these kinds of decisions – I usually tend to get it right – but this time I got it wrong. »
In adversity, the experienced knows how to demonstrate wisdom: « Tomorrow, it will be wet; it’s going to be difficult for everyone. The tires give us no grip in these conditions since the cars have less aerodynamic downforce than last year. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, but one thing is certain, if it rains, it will be tough. »
