McLaren is betting on the rain for the rest of the weekend
Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez were able to complete their entire program during the first two free practice sessions. Button hopes to get a little closer to the Lotuses than in the last race, while Pérez is already banking on rain to make the most of his stay in South Korea.
Jenson Button – 5th and 9th:
This circuit is always very difficult to drive, particularly at the beginning of the weekend; I don’t think it’s used for the rest of the year, so the first practice session is always very slippery.
However, I think the second free practice session is more representative of our pace. We were able to run enough, but I don’t think I did my best with the super-soft tires. I believe we are starting to understand the characteristics of all the tire compounds well.
In terms of performance, I think we’ve gotten a bit closer to the Lotus compared to the last races, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow…
It should be noted that during FP2 my mechanics had to repair my braking intensity management button inside my cockpit. Very little impact on my driving style.
Sergio Perez – 9th and 12th:
« We were able to complete the entire task list we set for today, and we managed to cover fuel-laden laps that are very useful for defining our setup, which is very important during a weekend.
Of course, we still have a lot of work to do before finding the optimal settings on the car, especially with the hard tires when the car is loaded with fuel, and at the same time trying to get the best out of the soft tires during short stints. Adjusting the slider to the right spot is always tricky….
In any case, we seem to be as close to our competitors as during the last race in Singapore: if we can score points, it will be a good result for us.
Anticipating the rain might also be in our interest… »
