Jenson Button says he is unable to explain the ‘massive’ gap to Ferrari after previously matching them in Valencia a fortnight ago.
Ferrari secured the second row behind the two Red Bull cars, the first time both Ferraris have been ahead of the McLaren cars this season – and Button has no idea why.
“It wasn’t perfect, but I think we made the best of it,” Button told reporters after the race. “We didn’t have the best balance to be fair, and it cost me quite a bit of lap time, but to be that far behind the cars in front, and it felt okay, is very surprising.
“We’re 1.3 seconds behind [a] Ferrari. At the last race they were very similar to us in qualifying. We’ve brought a lot of updates here, and you’d expect we would be closer, but we’ve dropped back.”
Button isn’t too displeased with fifth which he described as ‘okay’, but rather the sheer size of the gap. However he is hoping to match, if not beat them in the race tomorrow, but only if the conditions are changeable.
“Fifth you’d say it’s okay after what we’ve been through the last couple of days, but the gap is massive. One and a half seconds is just massive. That’s all I have to say, really.
“I think we can really take the fight to the other guys, in mixed conditions, and maybe have one over on them, I hope.”
