- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - McLaren
Button 'very puzzled' by drop in pace
Jenson Button was left "very puzzled" after he failed to live up to the promise he had shown in practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when it really mattered in qualifying.
Button was knocked out in Q2 when he failed to make the cut by nearly 0.4s, which was also the margin to his McLaren team-mate Sergio Perez. Button had been sixth fastest in final practice and his team appears to have made progress at the last two weekends, making the lack of pace when it mattered even more confusing.
"I was very puzzled because this morning it was working really well and I've actually been happy with the car all weekend up to qualifying," he said. "We've struggled because of the cooler temperatures and we can't get enough front end in the car. I'm maxed out on the front wing and I have to take so much rear wing off to try and help the balance of the car, but still it was nowhere near enough. The car was completely different to what I experienced all weekend."
Asked if he was running the same set-up as Perez, who qualified eighth, he added: "The cars are very different but that shouldn't matter because the car is working as we set it up all weekend."
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