Sunday: Strategy didn’t help McLaren in Austria

Kevin Magnussen (No. 20) – 7th

For the McLaren rookie, this 7th place has a slightly bitter taste as he thought he could hold onto his 6th place on the grid. But Sergio Pérez managed to make the difference at the end of the race: « I really thought we were going to finish 6th today but Checo (Pérez) was just too fast at the end of the race. »

Nevertheless, he does not forget that it remains better than his previous results, while emphasizing that aerodynamics remain the weak point of his single-seater: « It’s not great but it’s positive that we are making progress. We improved during this weekend but we must continue to push: we need to find aerodynamic downforce. I think we got the best out of our package this weekend. It was a tough race in the middle of the pack but we will get there. It may be hard to see from the outside but, believe me, we are progressing all the time. »

Jenson Button (No. 22) – 11th

The disappointment was visible for the British driver, who hoped to pick up points thanks to an alternate strategy: « I really hoped that we could gain a few places today but it’s never easy to overtake here. We chose a different strategy, starting with the softs, but it didn’t really work out for us. »

His race was compromised from the start due to his altercation with Sahara Force India’s Nico Hülkenberg: At the start, Nico pushed me to the outside at the exit of the first corner. It wasn’t really necessary since there was enough space for both of us. So, I lost a few places. From there, my race was all about keeping up the pace, waiting for those ahead of me to pit, and trying to make my strategy work, which I ultimately failed to do. It was a long afternoon to finish 11th.