Sunday: Button and McLaren end the season in style

Jenson Button – 4th:

For Checo, myself, and the entire Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, today has been an incredible day. I’m thrilled to have finished 4th; it’s almost the podium position I could have aimed for here. We really needed a result like today’s. The 2013 season hasn’t been easy – it has been tough for us on all circuits, but it has probably been even harder for the guys at the factory, who worked tirelessly to create new parts. They are a truly passionate and dedicated group of people, and they thoroughly deserve the “animation” that this result offers them. I’m happy for Checo [Sergio Perez] as well. He won’t be with us next year, but he had a really good race today. Kudos to him. I also want to say a big thank you to Vodafone. Vodafone has been an absolutely incredible title partner, we’ve had a lot of fun together – both on and off the track. Some of the videos made with them were really brilliant. I’m sad to see them go, but I think nothing lasts forever. It’s a nice way to finish the year, and now our focus turns towards 2014. McLaren is an incredibly strong and powerful organization – and believe me, we’re going to come back strong.

Sergio Pérez – 6th:

« What a contrast between today and yesterday, where we were unlucky to lose 5 positions due to a gearbox change, but I think we really made up for it this afternoon. I was hoping for heavier rain at the end of the race, so I could have an opportunity to gain some additional positions. But unfortunately, I had to save fuel in the last laps, which meant I couldn’t attack Nico [Rosberg] as hard as I might have. I’ve learned a lot from everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, the best team I’ve raced with, and I wish everyone the best for the future. I wish the best to Jenson and Kevin [Editor’s note: Kevin Magnussen, his replacement] as well. I think I’ve grown this year – both as a racing driver and as a man – and I believe I’ll be an even fiercer competitor in the future as a result. »