Jenson Button has admitted that driving around the iconic Spa-Francorchamps track will "still feel incredible" despite not having a car capable of challenging for race victories and that his victory last year was "one of the most satisfying" of his career.
The Brit, who currently sits ninth in the standings, has had some stand-out drives on the historic circuit - like the one just mentioned - and reminisced about them in the team's usual pre-race preview quotes.
Speaking in the statement he said: "Spa has always been on my shortlist of favourite circuits in Formula 1. I still remember my first grand prix there, back in 2000, when I out-qualified Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari – that felt pretty special.
"Then I think back to my victory there last year: I had pretty much the perfect weekend – my car was fantastic, I got pole position and just led the whole race. It was one of the most satisfying wins of my career just because I felt strong and confident for the entire weekend."
He explained about the joys of driving around the circuit, adding: "The thing about Spa is that it just feels awesome to nail a quick lap around there – you need a car that’s perfectly synced to the driver, because it’s such a long lap, and there are so many big corners, that you need to find that perfect balance. And getting the set-up right – and running flat-out for nearly two minutes – feels incredible."
The Brit revealed that he doesn't go in to the weekend with a chance to win, but he will make the most of driving around the classic track: "We don’t go to Spa with the package to win, but I’ll still be making the most of every single lap around this place – it’ll still feel incredible."
Meanwhile team-mate Sergio Perez is feeling refreshed and revitalised after the summer break, admitting that the team left for the summer break on a good note.
He said: "We had a positive race in Hungary, which was a nice way to end the first half of the season. Hopefully, it gave everybody within the team the motivation to return to work after the summer break with renewed focus. I’m certainly feeling incredibly strong and refreshed and am really looking forward to getting back into the cockpit and back to work."
Along with Monza, Perez can't think of a better set of races to kick off the sports return, saying: "They’re two of Formula 1’s most iconic and evocative tracks, and two of the greatest challenges for any driver. I love Spa, but I didn’t get too much of an opportunity last year: after qualifying fourth, I was one of the victims of the first-corner accident, so I didn’t get to see what our car could do.
"So I’m going to Spa this year with added motivation to do well. It’s such a great place – I love fast corners, and the feeling of taking to the car to the limit around such a big and long circuit is incredible. The racing at Spa – particularly with KERS Hybrid and DRS – is usually pretty intense, so I’ll be looking forward to another exciting weekend."
McLaren are aiming for continual progress and to increase their understanding of the troublesome MP4-28 further, but Button admitted over the summer break that a podium finish isn't out of the question.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Speaking in the statement he said: "Spa has always been on my shortlist of favourite circuits in Formula 1. I still remember my first grand prix there, back in 2000, when I out-qualified Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari – that felt pretty special.
"Then I think back to my victory there last year: I had pretty much the perfect weekend – my car was fantastic, I got pole position and just led the whole race. It was one of the most satisfying wins of my career just because I felt strong and confident for the entire weekend."
He explained about the joys of driving around the circuit, adding: "The thing about Spa is that it just feels awesome to nail a quick lap around there – you need a car that’s perfectly synced to the driver, because it’s such a long lap, and there are so many big corners, that you need to find that perfect balance. And getting the set-up right – and running flat-out for nearly two minutes – feels incredible."
The Brit revealed that he doesn't go in to the weekend with a chance to win, but he will make the most of driving around the classic track: "We don’t go to Spa with the package to win, but I’ll still be making the most of every single lap around this place – it’ll still feel incredible."
Meanwhile team-mate Sergio Perez is feeling refreshed and revitalised after the summer break, admitting that the team left for the summer break on a good note.
He said: "We had a positive race in Hungary, which was a nice way to end the first half of the season. Hopefully, it gave everybody within the team the motivation to return to work after the summer break with renewed focus. I’m certainly feeling incredibly strong and refreshed and am really looking forward to getting back into the cockpit and back to work."
Along with Monza, Perez can't think of a better set of races to kick off the sports return, saying: "They’re two of Formula 1’s most iconic and evocative tracks, and two of the greatest challenges for any driver. I love Spa, but I didn’t get too much of an opportunity last year: after qualifying fourth, I was one of the victims of the first-corner accident, so I didn’t get to see what our car could do.
"So I’m going to Spa this year with added motivation to do well. It’s such a great place – I love fast corners, and the feeling of taking to the car to the limit around such a big and long circuit is incredible. The racing at Spa – particularly with KERS Hybrid and DRS – is usually pretty intense, so I’ll be looking forward to another exciting weekend."
McLaren are aiming for continual progress and to increase their understanding of the troublesome MP4-28 further, but Button admitted over the summer break that a podium finish isn't out of the question.
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