Jenson Button: Beating Red Bull in Monaco requires downforce which McLaren do not have – Formula 1
McLaren Formula 1 driver Jenson Button has said that the possibility of beating the Red Bull team in the Monaco qualifiers is dependent on maximum downforce which they do not have at the moment.
Button added that he will win the Monaco Grand Prix to open his account in the 2011 Formula 1 season.
Coming podium-less from the Turkish Grand Prix, the McLaren duo found their rightful place on the podium in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Still Button thinks that Red Bull are producing an enormous amount of downforce which is allowing them to go quicker in the qualifiers. The Brit added that they still need five races to catch up with Red Bull.
“A better qualifying comes with having more downforce. But I don’t know what Red Bull is doing as they’ve been one second quicker than us. I think to qualify in front of them will probably take us five races,” stated Button.
The Brit further added getting one second out of the car takes time but luckily for the McLaren team, the race pace is almost equal.
In the Spanish Grand Prix, Red Bull’s duo was more than one second quicker than the two McLarens. Mark Webber of Red Bull stated that in 2011, the fight for the pole position will once again be between the two Red Bulls because no other car is looking that
powerful.
In 2010, Red Bull took 15 pole positions out of the 19 available which strengthens Webber’s statement.
In the Spanish GP, Button was the only front running driver who was on a three pit stop strategy while every other did four. The same strategy ruined his game in the Turkish Grand Prix but saved the day for him in the Barcelona track.
“We haven’t changed the strategy during the race for the last two races when everyone else has - going from a three- to a four-stop strategy. Actually I was a bit surprised seeing them pitting four times,” stated Button.
The free practice session of the Monaco GP will be contested on Thursday May 26, 2011.
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