• Chinese Grand Prix

McLaren 'not quick enough' - Button

ESPN Staff
April 14, 2013 « Vettel 'disappointed' to miss out on podium | Race pace still lacking - Hamilton »
Jenson Button led for a period of the Chinese Grand Prix as he executed a two-stop strategy © Sutton Images
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Jenson Button says McLaren is "not quick enough" and needs to improve after finishing fifth in the Chinese Grand Prix.

While McLaren has been off the pace since the start of the season, an improvement in Malaysia was followed up in China as Button completed a two-stop strategy to finish fifth having led for a number of laps. However, Button said the alternative strategy was the only way McLaren could get close to the front and that it has a lot of work to do to challenge for podiums.

"It's really tough because in a way it's a little bit like Le Mans when you're in an LMP2 car and the LMP1 cars are coming up behind you," Button said. "The cars were so much quicker than me and there was no point racing because it would have destroyed our strategy. One lock-up, one trip over the marbles and the tyres would have been gone so our strategy wouldn't have worked and it was a very tight strategy.

"We had to be careful, we had to be clever and intelligent and I think as a team we did that today. It was so difficult, I would radio in and say "Can I fight them?" They'd come back and say "Yes, fight, fight!" And then ten seconds later "No, you need to look after the tyres and get to our target lap".

"So it was a tricky race but we should be very happy with what we did. To come away P5 with ten points; we wouldn't have done that if we had done the same strategy as everyone else. We're not quick enough, so we take away positives but also we know that we're not quick enough and we need to improve."

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