Jenson Button is looking forward to racing at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend as he believes it’s a more extreme version of Australia.
The Briton started the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship for McLaren-Honda in fourteenth at the season-opener in Melbourne. Button is keen to get back behind the wheel of the MP4-31 and although it didn’t show in their results from Australia, he believes their car felt very good to drive. Hoping there is some positives to look forward to at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“Bahrain is a fun track to drive on and very different from Albert Park in its configuration,” said Button. “It’s tough on brakes and fuel, and good balance is key to putting together a lap, as you need downforce on the long, fast straights and then stability and traction through the lower-speed corners.
“It’s a more extreme version of Australia in many ways, with the track starting off very dirty and rubbering in over the weekend. While that makes the track faster, we also have to juggle the rapidly cooling temperatures on race day after the sun sets.
“I’m really keen to get back behind the wheel, as, although it didn’t show in our results from Australia, our package felt very good to drive and the team worked really hard to bring a step forward in driveability from testing to the first race. Bahrain is definitely a tricky track for us as it’s high-speed, but we have a solid platform and improved deployment, so there are some positives to look forward to.”
