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McLaren must show improvement - Button

Jenson Button: "If we get a good correlation between the circuit and the wind tunnel that's just as important as seeing improved lap time" © Sutton Images

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• Race:
• Spanish Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Jenson Button

• Teams:
• McLaren

Jenson Button says McLaren must show an improvement at the Spanish Grand Prix, but that the team's updates are no longer "crucial" to its season.

Having been unable to challenge for victory in any of the opening four races, Button described McLaren's updates for the first European round of the season as "crucial". However, when asked in Barcelona if that was still a word he'd use to assess the situation, Button replied: "No. I think it's important we see an improvement, yes.

"I think we need to see an improvement here; we're not going to see us putting it on pole position but to see an improvement at least in the car and getting through to Q3 with it not being a massive struggle I think has to be our aim this weekend."

Button said he hadn't been following the wind tunnel results for McLaren's updates too closely in order to focus on what he feels from the car on track.

"It's very difficult to always look at numbers and simulations and what have you, so I think we have to reserve judgement until we actually drive the car this weekend. There's a lot that's different you'll be able to see, with the aerodynamics of the car and you'll understand the difference in airflow of the car. Hopefully it works; maybe it all won't work but we've just got to get a better understanding and a better correlation with back at the MTC. I think if we get a good correlation between the circuit and the wind tunnel that's just as important as seeing improved lap time this weekend."

With Pirelli supplying an extra set of prototype hard tyres on Friday morning, Button said it will help McLaren analyse its new parts as long as the weather stays dry.

"I think so and it also means people will run earlier, which is good for us as they clear the circuit; we can get a good understanding. But also I think it's going to rain so we won't be running so much in the wet, I don't think. When you turn up to a place with new parts you don't normally have a lot of them, so I don't think we'll be doing a lot of wet running to be honest."

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