Jenson Button got his first pre-season test underway on Thursday in Valencia. The Briton was driving the interim MP4-25 which features some 2011 aero parts.
Unlike much of the grid, he was yet to experience the Pirelli tyres after McLaren opted to run test and reserve driver, Gary Paffett, during the Abu Dhabi test.
“Today was mostly about tyre work,” said Jenson. “It was an interesting day and a new experience for me to try the Pirelli’s. They obviously work in a different way to last year’s tyres – but most of my runs were reasonably good.”
The majority of drivers have expressed some concern over the degredation issues surrounding the Italian manufacturer’s rubber, but Button wasn’t too fazed.
“There’s degradation – but you’ll find that on any tyre – particularly on the Super-soft tyre, but that’s to be expected.
“I was quite happy with the way the car was working; we did a lot of good work on set-up. We’re moving in the right direction,” he added.
The Woking based team will launch their 2011 car on Friday in Berlin, something the 2009 world champion is very much looking forward to.
“Now I’m looking forward to seeing the new car tomorrow and starting to test it properly next week.”
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