Button “disappointed” by qualifying pace

2011 Canadian Grand Prix

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Jenson Button, McLaren, Montreal, 2011

Jenson Button admitted McLaren’s pace in qualifying was “disappointing”.

Speaking after qualifying seventh, two places behind Lewis Hamilton, he said: “It’s always frustrating when you’re not quick.

“We didn’t have the pace that we thought we would. We always know that our race pace is better than qualifying but I’m surprised to be where we are, yes.

“My last run was looking really good and then I over-drove and started locking up and lost a bit of time.

“I was very close to just pipping Nico [Rosberg] at the end but it didn’t happen”.

He denied his car was set-up for the anticipated wet conditions tomorrow, saying: “No, not specifically.

“But Formula 1 cars these days, you don’t set the car up definitely for wet conditions because we’e do used to it raining during the race that we have an optimised set-up that will work in pretty much every condition”.

Button said the car appears to be consistent over a race stint and he hopes to make up ground on Sunday.

He said: “I’m starting seventh but sixth, to be fair, is not a lot better than seventh. We’re on the clean side [of the grid] I think.

“A lot can happen here, this is a circuit you can overtake on so we’ve just got to hope our race pace is better than our qualifying because we’re a long way off what we expected to be around here.

“The Red Bulls are very quick, again, as always, but the Ferraris are very close to them. It’s just a pity we couldn’t get in amongst that really”.

2011 Canadian Grand Prix

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    24 comments on “Button “disappointed” by qualifying pace”

    1. I’d expect most of Mclaren to be disappointed too, but betting on the weather like that and you’re asking for these kinds of issues. That said, things might change if it rains tomorrow.

      1. Interesting that Jenson denies having a wet weather setup though. I hope that Mclaren have indeed gone for a wet setup otherwise they seem to have fallen behind on a circuit type they used to be mighty at!

        1. I don’t think they bet on a wet setup. it’s 50-50.

          1. I can’t see it either to be honest.

          2. From what Martin Whitmarsh said, they might be on an intermediate setup, with just a bit more wing that they might normally have. Looking at the speed trap times, JB was about 3kph slower than SV, and LH was more than 6kph slower, yet those speeds were set in Q1

    2. He should. It’s one of the best circuit for Mclaren. Now Hamilton’s consecutive victorie record in Canada is also in danger.

      1. Consecutive? Kubica won there in 08, right?

        1. oh sorry. I’m suprised I forgot him already!! I really hope Kubica back well.

    3. I think anybody to be driving in a team like Mclaren, being used to having good races, would be dissapointed in 7th position. I’m sure everybody in Mclaren are dissapointed in this result.

      1. I thought McLaren would have been with Ferrari in performance, just behind Red Bull, but it’s clear they are, for this race only, the third strength.

        1. you guys have really short memories. it is the tires that affects the relative performance. The ferrari has been much better on the soft/super softs whereas the more abrasive tracks have suited the mclaren much better.

    4. I am a massive mclaren fan but I had my doubts before the race and questioned why they were favourites. Their DRS is gaining much less than other teams and they don’t seem to be very fast on the straights.

      1. dito, i think their drs is useless

        1. Would explain the disparity between qualifying and race pace.

      2. I dont think their DRS has anything to do with it. It has more to do with getting the tyres into their soft spot and having a car which produces less drag overall.

      3. So yes, we are disappointed as well Jenson!

    5. I predicted Alonso for pole. I’m wrong but really glad I didn’t pick a McLaren. Not particularly inspiring.

      1. I predicted Vettel. But I was not sure weather i had updated the time, so to test I put in someone else, then changed it back. A minute before closing, I saw that in changing it back I got Seb right, but it was Buemi for the race win!
        Changed it, but that was a few seconds late, bugger.

        1. Nearly made the same mistake earlier. Ended up with VET but missed the pole time by 0.03 secs…

    6. Why are they surprised? The MP4/26 has consistantly shown it only likes hot weather and therefore hot track surfaces. As soon as the track temp is above 35 deg it’s fast. It obviously is about tyre temp/pressure. If you look back, through 2011 when ever it’s overcast or cold the McLaren is behind.

    7. I guess they have good pace store for the race,it will be interesting as how many pit stop does he choose relative to others in the race tomorrow.

    8. Starting to regret my prediction of a Hamilton win. But anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does! :P

    9. Well they supposedly have a little more rear wing making them slower at the straights. Also they put longer gear on the cars with the resold in the end losing significant time in qualy pace.
      The strange thing is that Hamilton called it the “wrong gears”. So that makes you wonder if they just messed the set-up instead of being a strategy decision.

    10. Yep…regular as clockwork from jenson as usual…. starting to get the excuses lined up already for the post race interviews.

      If it rains….mclaren will be mightily relieved – but if it doesnt then this will be another major calamity. IMO…considering the massive gap in points to sebastian and the closeness of the other rivals in the table….I didnt think mclaren can afford to risk such a big gamble – if vettel was alot closer than fair enough – If anything they shouldve had a split strategy.

      Canada is a track favoured to the mclarens…To me this is yet another waste of a potential great result on a track which favours them. They shouldnt take big risks at the tracks that suit them….they should save the risky gambles for the tracks which dont suit them.

      The team have already wasted Lewis’ opportunity of an expected win in monaco – and it may be likely that they’ve also ruined another great chance of another Hamilton win in Canada – Lets see what the weather holds.

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