• Belgian Grand Prix - FP2

Button perplexed by FP2 issues

ESPN Staff
August 23, 2013 « Rosberg expects difficult weekend | Ferrari closing on the front - Alonso »
Jenson Button: "It's an issue but it's not a problem with the car" © Associated Press
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Jenson Button says he is perplexed by McLaren's drop in performance between FP1 and FP2 for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Having been near the top of the timesheets throughout FP1 Button eventually finished the session down in 14th place as a result of the changeable conditions. FP2 was less encouraging though, and despite finishing only one place lower in the second session Button said he did not understand why the car felt so different.

"P1 was very good," Button said. "I was very happy with the car, the balance felt good and I think our pace was very good. I didn't push very hard in the wet sectors but in the dry it felt very good. This afternoon: completely different. As soon as we exited the pits the car felt very, very different. We don't know why, we think it's the same with both of us struggling with the same things.

"It's an issue but it's not a problem with the car, I think it's maybe the temperature, what's happening with the weather maybe and the wind, but we're getting very affected and the pace isn't there and the feeling is not there on low or high fuel. We've got a lot of work to understand why that is but hopefully we will for tomorrow."

Button said McLaren would have to see if there was an obvious fix for the problems but shouldn't get too preoccupied as different conditions on Saturday could see the balance change again.

"We're just surprised at the balance because from P1 the car felt very good and the balance was as we expected, as we drove in the simulator, and then P2 is completely different. P2 is the one that stands out as being wrong so I don't understand what it is. We have to look in to what we can do with it and not get too carried away as well."

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