- McLaren
Magnussen pace can improve Button - Paffett
McLaren test driver Gary Paffett says Kevin Magnussen's pace can push Jenson Button to a higher level in 2014.
Button outscored team-mate Sergio Perez by 24 points in 2013 as McLaren went the whole season without scoring a podium. However, Paffett believes the qualifying record - 10-9 in Perez's favour but Button on average 0.24s quicker - highlights an area where Button was not being pushed to find even more performance.
"What we want to see at McLaren is Jenson to be pushed hard this year," Paffett said at the Autosport International Show. "Jenson needs someone quicker than him to push him harder. That's what we saw with Lewis Hamilton in the team.
"Lewis is one of the best qualifiers on the grid, and he always pushed Jenson past the limit, so Jenson had to work very hard to keep up. Last year with the drivers quite closely matched there didn't seem to be too much pushing going on in the team and I really think Kevin can bring that. What we've seen of him so far in testing, he is extremely fast."
In 2012 Button only outqualified Hamilton on four occasions but took three victories as he finished just two points behind his team-mate in the standings.
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