Malaysian GP practice quotes: McLaren
Jenson Button - 11th/12th: "Today we got through a decent amount of satisfactory work, and we duly gathered some more useful info about MP4-28
"On a dry track it feels better than it did in Melbourne, but even then its pace still isn't there compared with that of the front-running cars.
"We've identified some further improvements that we can make before tomorrow, though, which is encouraging, and it's been a good day in terms of learning.
"Back at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking [Surrey, UK] the guys are working as hard as they possibly can to find extra performance - and here in Sepang, too, every single member of our race team is doing a truly awesome job.
"It's a lot easier to work on a car that's winning races than it is to work on a car that's not fully competitive, so fair play to everyone for getting their heads down and battling through."
Sergio Perez - 13th/11th: "Today was a very busy day, during which both Jenson and I tried a number of options in an effort to decide which spec to go with tomorrow and Sunday.
"Our car has improved since Melbourne - which is quite cheering when you consider that we raced there only four days ago - and it felt better in both dry and wet conditions today.
"Having said that, although as I say it felt better on a dry track today than it did in Melbourne, it would still probably qualify and race a bit better on a wet track than on a dry track, relative to our opposition, so we won't be upset if it rains quite a bit over the next couple of days."
Martin Whitmarsh - Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: "Today we ran through our planned FP1/FP2 programme, successfully applying the upgrades we'd developed for this weekend, and continuing our investigative work with a view to improving our understanding of MP4-28.
"FP1 was dry, but there was quite a bit of rain towards the end of FP2, in which conditions we were reasonably competitive.
"Overall, then, it's been a satisfactory day, and we've acquired quite a bit more data which we'll now number-crunch in an effort to optimise our car's spec for the rest of the race weekend.
"Everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is working incredibly hard, in very challenging circumstances, and I'm both grateful for and impressed by my colleagues' indefatigable esprit de corps."
Previous article
Malaysian GP: Pastor Maldonado says Williams's gains only small
Next article
Button becomes a GPDA director replacing Massa
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
How Verstappen and Hamilton’s Imola clash sets the tone for F1’s 2021 title fight
In Max Verstappen's Formula 1 career to date, he has been cast as the 'pretender', an acknowledged top-line performer without the car to regularly challenge Lewis Hamilton. But that no longer applies in 2021, and the start to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the most telling signal yet of what we can expect from their duel this year
How “overwhelming” McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Daniel Ricciardo has found a new lease of life at McLaren – a move that’s been years in the making, as he explains to STUART CODLING…
The German legend who raced and beat Nuvolari
Ninety years ago, Rudolf Caracciola became the first non-Italian to win the epic Mille Miglia. We look at how he stacks up to the most famous pre-war ace Tazio Nuvolari, one of the drivers he beat on that day in 1931
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
