Button: Pirelli rubber will suit me
Jenson Button emerged from his first day of pre-season testing ahead of the new campaign sensing the new Pirelli tyres might just work to his advantage this year.
With McLaren due to launch their new car, the MP4-26, on Friday in Berlin, Button drove an interim spec of last year's challenger on the final day of the opening three-day test in Valencia.
For the 2009 World Champion, the work was all about evaluating the new rubber, with Pirelli having replaced Bridgestone.
After completing 105 laps of the Valencia circuit, Button, whose struggles in qualifying last year were primarily due to his failure to get the best out of the Bridgestones, was positive about the Pirellis.
"I like the feeling of the tyre," said the Brit.
"It has a stable rear when you enter high-speed corners, a stable rear when you brake for low-speed corners, and that is something I really do need with the car. I am happy with that step.
"In quite a few races last year I wasn't happy with my qualifying performance, but in the races we were very competitive.
"It is an area I need to work on, but all we can do off the circuit is try and improve areas that I think will help me.
"One area I think is that with Pirelli we have a tyre that maybe suits me more than the previous tyre we had.
"We have to wait and see, but I think that may be the case. I also think the work we are doing at the factory is positive."
Button was third overall on the timesheets with a lap of 1:13.553, finishing 0.409s behind Robert Kubica in the new Renault that features an innovative exhaust system.
Kubica was the third different driver to lead the way this week as new World Champion Sebastian Vettel was quickest in his Red Bull on Day One followed by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso on Day Two.
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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