McLaren A good strategy for the race tomorrow

SERGIO PEREZMP4-28A-01FP33rd                                         1m21.052s (+0.322s) 10 lapsQualifyingQ1 16th                    1m21.612s (on Options)Q2 10th                      1m20.545s (on Options)Q3 9th overall         1m22.398s (on Primes)First of all, I want to thank all the guys on the teamthey did an amazing job to get the car turned around between FP3 and Q1 this afternoon. It was quite a big shunt but we still didnt lose any track-timethat was really impressive, so thanks guys.At the beginning of Q1, I still felt a little bit uncomfortable with the car, which is why I only just made it through to Q2. However, my Q2 lap was quite goodwed made a lot of changes to the car overnightso Im hopeful that we may have a better car for the race than weve had for some time.Given our pacewe knew we werent going to qualify in the top fivewe opted to run the Prime in Q3. That tyre choice ought to give us a better strategy for the race tomorrow.Well be the first car starting on Primes, so I think were in a reasonable position for tomorrow.JENSON BUTTONMP4-28A-03FP39th                            1m21.499s (+0.769s) 15 lapsQualifyingQ1 7th                      1m21.131s (on Options) Q2 13th overall       1m20.777s (on Options) Q3-When we run fresh rubber, I cant get enough front-end in the carwere maxed outso Im struggling. In a way, thats a positivebecause it means weve introduced downforce to the rear of the car.

And hopefully that situation will change for the race, when you can play around with things in the cockpit a little more, and theres generally less rear grip for everyone.Im a little disappointed as Id hoped for a bit more here. I think thats because its been difficult to balance the carbut, hopefully, well show a little bit more pace in the race.

Im sure we can still have fun tomorrow.MARTIN WHITMARSHTeam principal, Vodafone McLaren MercedesClearly, although you want track position around a circuit such as this, the two days of practice have shown us that the Option tyre wont last for too long in the race tomorrowso, unless they can get clear of the traffic, the Option runners might encounter some problems.Checo did a good jobhell be the first of the Prime runners. We knew the Prime would probably be about a second and a half slower [than the Option], so Checo qualified in about the position wed expected.I must also add that the mechanics did an absolutely magnificent job to get Checos car turned around ahead of qualifying. His accident in the dying seconds of FP3 could hardly have come at a less opportune juncture, yet they threw themselves into the jobin difficult, hot and sweaty conditionsand pulled through with a few minutes to spare. Indeed, Checo lost not even a second of track time, as our strategy for both cars had always been to head out towards the latter half of Q1.For Jenson, P13 wasnt quite what hed expectedand his Q2 lap wasnt quite enough to get him through to Q3. Still, both he and Checo are strong and determined racers and theyll be giving it their all tomorrow.As usual, the Hungarian Grand Prix will be a long, stiflingly hot and very difficult affairgiven the two-hour duration of the race, and the difficult, circuitous nature of the track, much can happen tomorrow.Im therefore looking forward to an exciting race that will doubtless unravel in all manner of unpredictable wayswhich will be great for drivers, teams, media and fans alike.


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