• Italian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Button eyes wet advantage

Jenson Button qualified ninth, just behind team-mate Sergio Perez © Getty Images

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Jenson Button is hoping for a wet Italian Grand Prix to be able to take advantage of the changeable conditions for McLaren.

McLaren has yet to score a podium finish this year as a result of its lack of competitiveness in the dry, and with Button qualifying in ninth - just behind his team-mate Sergio Perez - it looks unlikely that duck will be broken if the race remains dry. Button admitted that he would be hoping the forecast rain affects the grand prix, which will open up more potential for those behind Red Bull.

"Yeah, the great thing is that none of us have driven in the wet round here for quite a few years, which does open it up," Button said. "So I think it will be quite interesting with everyone feeling their way round in wet conditions so it does for everyone who's not at the front, I guess. So hopefully we can have a little bit of that.

"In the dry I really don't know where we're going to be compared to everyone else, it's always difficult to know. P2 you obviously run the car on high fuel but you change the car from then to now - and we've changed it quite a bit - so is it better or is it worse? I don't really know, especially on the long runs, but I'm still looking forward to [the race]."

Button also singled out the unknown quantity of Nico Hulkenberg near the front of the grid as a key aspect of the race.

"I think if we can get a good start we can race with the guys up front. We're also ahead of both Lotus' which is a little bit of a surprise for us. Hulkenberg in third position makes the race very interesting; I don't know what their race pace is going to be like."

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