- Italian GP - FP2
Button writes off McLaren's podium chances
Jenson Button does not think McLaren has a chance of a podium at the Italian Grand Prix despite its impressive performance during Friday practice at Monza.
Button split the Mercedes drivers in FP1, with team-mate Kevin Magnussen fifth, but dropped to sixth by the afternoon session. Despite its standing up the order Button thinks McLaren is still lacking in race pace compared to its rivals.
"I don't think we've got a shot at the podium here, no," Button said. "We'll be alright but podium I don't think is an option. But I don't think is our only chance of a good result, I think that the next few races from here until the end of the season should be getting better every race.
"As always at the end of a Friday there's work to do but all in all it was a relatively good day. I didn't have the cleanest runs this afternoon but this morning I did and it seems OK, that's probably where we are lacking compared to the other guys. We're quicker over one lap at the moment than we are on a long run. It's always difficult to run on Friday because people run different fuel loads, I'm sure not everyone runs maximum."
Despite this Button says he would not be surprised if McLaren found some extra performance on Sunday given how the season has gone so far.
"For some reason, from this year especially, you get a big difference from long run practice and actually the race so we don't know where we stand. It's important for us to do our own thing and get to the bottom of the issues that we have. We're moving forward and that's good."
Button had a hairy moment in the closing stages of FP2 when he had a heavy lock-up coming into the first chicane, narrowly avoiding Daniil Kvyat and going over the chicane.
"I don't think that's classed as a move! I think I would have been penalised for that one and asked to let him back past [in a race]. Obviously with low downforce its tricky, I definitely didn't expect to be locking a tyre but I obviously did."
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