McLaren sure Canadian Grand Prix is still wide open despite qualifying issues

Hamilton has had trouble switching his tyres on this weekend, even though he managed to qualify on the front row, while Button's hopes of a decent grid slot were hurt by him running out of new super soft tyres for Q3.

But despite their struggles both men have reason to feel optimistic that they can do well in Montreal, especially with temperatures expected to be very hot for Sunday's race.

Hamilton said: "Every driver has a certain amount of belief about themselves and what they can do, and it is anyone's race still.

"If you look at last year where Jenson came from last, we know that there could be safety cars and you don't know what is going to happen with tyre strategies. It will be an interesting race.

"I want to get a good start as well. Ferrari are massively quick off the starts and perhaps the Red Bulls are pretty good but we have had some really good starts during the year, and if we do that then it could put us in with a fighting chance for even the lead in the first corner. That is what I am hoping for."

Button will be starting the race on the prime tyre, which means that his best hopes of moving forward rest on his different strategy allowing him to run in clear air.

"We are starting on a different tyre to everyone else and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is what it is," he explained. "We will see in the race.

"It is going to be very hot and hopefully it will throw it up in the air quite a bit, as no one is sure what the tyres are going to do. Everyone has done a lot of running on the super soft and soft in cooler conditions, but when it is 28 degrees ambient and the circuit will be mid to high 40s, we really do not know what is going to happen.

"We have taken a bit of a punt, which you have to when you are that far back, and we can still have a good race from there."