McLaren's Jenson Button says getting into Q3 is definitely the aim on Saturday after a positive Friday session saw him finish third quickest, behind only the Mercedes pair.
Button's best time on the super-soft was just 1.2 seconds shy of Nico Rosberg's best on the same tyre – and whilst that seems like a large gap, it is by far the closest McLaren have been since partnering with Honda last year.
"Today was good – FP1 and FP2 were both competitive, and it’s nice to have a car that feels good beneath me, one we can really work with and see good gains," Button said after the session.
"It was only practice today, but it was a lot more fun than normal! High-fuel runs weren’t too bad either – overall it’s been a positive day."
The Briton knows those around him will pick-up their pace come qualifying, but he has set his sights firmly on getting within the top eight to secure a place in Q3.
"There’s still a lot of work to do tomorrow on long runs, especially on the harder compounds, when I’m sure the other cars will be more competitive," he added. "But, we were third quickest today, and that’s a positive.
"The balance is reasonable and the car is feeling nice around here, which is definitely better than Melbourne. I think when you’re third in FP2 and it’s not because of changeable conditions or anything, you’ve got to be thinking about getting into Q3 – it has to be the aim."
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