Jenson Button believes that it is just a matter of time until McLaren returns to the front of the field in Formula 1 despite the team’s struggle in 2014.
After a disastrous 2013 campaign that was the McLaren’s worst in thirty years, 2014 has not gone much better with the team lying sixth in the constructors’ championship as the lowest ranked Mercedes-powered outfit. However, Button is pleased with the progress being made, and made his feelings clear on British radio station TalkSport.
“It’s been a tough year to be fair, very tough year,” the Briton explained. “We’re not where we’re used to being near the front. McLaren is used to fighting at the front with the other top teams, but this year hasn’t been the case, but we are getting stronger, and the British Grand Prix showed that.
“We’ve got the best engine, we’ve got a Mercedes engine so we don’t have that excuse. We just haven’t built a good enough car to win races this year. We’re working hard, there’s been a lot of improvements this year already, personnel changes and what have you, adding to the strong team we already have, so we will win races, it is a matter of time.
“It is very frustrating because when you’ve won races before and a world championship nothing else is good enough, but we’re on the right track and that’s the important thing.”
When asked to predict who would win the drivers’ championship, Button was reluctant to make a firm choice between Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, but said that his compatriot could win out if he is mentally stable.
“It’s a tricky one, people say Lewis is quicker but Nico is more intelligent, but I don’t know,” Button said. “I know how quick Lewis is, and if his head is in the right place, he will be unbeatable.”
Button finished an excellent fourth at the British Grand Prix, matching his best ever finish at Silverstone. He will head to next weekend’s German Grand Prix with his tail up, but there is still a long road ahead for McLaren.
