Jenson Button was eliminated in the first stage of qualifying in Hungary following an electrical issue that cost him time down the main straight as he began his final qualifying attempt, with the estimated time loss costing him a shot at making it into the second stage of qualifying.
The McLaren-Honda driver felt he was unlucky to have the problem, especially as he admitted he has been enjoying driving the MP4/30 this weekend around a track he enjoys racing at, and hopes he can have a positive race on Sunday.
“I didn’t get any electrical deployment down the main straight as I started my final lap in Q1,” revealed Button. “The engineers tell me that’s worth about four-tenths – and that just isn’t possible to make up around the rest of the lap. It was unlucky, but it is what it is.
“It was a shame too, because I really enjoyed driving the car today. The morning session was a bit tough, but the car immediately felt good this afternoon. The balance was good and we thought we’d easily get through into Q2. We’re not quick enough yet, but at least we have a good balance.
“Let’s hope tomorrow is a better day. I love driving around this place – it’s a great old circuit – and we’ll have a close look at what hand we can play tomorrow. But, even so, it’ll be a tough race, because you can’t overtake around here.”
