Jenson Button of McLaren-Mercedes laments understeer issues at Korean Grand Prix – Formula 1 news
Jenson Button of Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes had to face trouble at the 2011 Korean Grand Prix held this Sunday, October 16 due to understeer issues which cost him a place at the podium.
The Briton had won last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, where Sebastian Vettel was crowned 2011 champion becoming the youngest double title winner.
His performance at this weekend’s race at the Korea International Circuit was not as good as it was at Suzuka.
He lost a lot of place in the opening lap which made it almost impossible for him to catch pace with Hamilton and Webber in the later laps. In the first lap, he dropped to 8th position even though he had started 3rd on
the grid, after Massa overtook him.
“My biggest problem was that I didn't have any front grip,” Button speaking to BBC said, “We were putting a lot of 'front-end' in the car throughout the race by adjusting the front wing during the pitstops, but still I really struggled in the last sector.”
Button further said, “I just couldn't get close enough to the cars in front to use the DRS, and when you are out of the DRS zone it's really tricky because the car in front, if he is using DRS, is gaining half a second on you. So to make that time up around
the rest of the lap to try and get at the DRS is pretty tricky.”
Button’s performance at the Korean Grand Prix last year was not that good, and he was not expecting a really superb result at the circuit this year as well. However, hopes were high, as the team had put in a lot of upgrades to the car, so it was a bit of
a disappointment but considering the fierce challenge they had in the form of Red Bull’s competitive car, and the circuit’s tricky turns and high tyre-degradation, the team did a fairly good job.
His teammate Lewis Hamilton secured a second place after putting up a tough race.
Button said that the team will go back and look deeply into the information they have gathered at Korea to improve their results in the three races that remain in this year’s Formula 1 calendar. The teams’ next destination is the 2011 Indian Grand Prix,
which is the first race ever to be staged at the Indian soil. Hence, expectations are huge from the race and preparations have already been made to make this event a great success.
With the Korean Grand Prix coming to an end, the McLaren-Mercedes team currently lies at second spot with 418 points. However, the chase for constructors’ championship has ended with Red Bull winning it.
Let’s see how the team fares in the upcoming Indian Grand Prix which starts in two weeks’ time at the Buddh International circuit in the Greater Noida area.
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