Jenson Button says that McLaren threw away a chance of a strong result after calling the conditions wrong during the first pit stop phase. Button jumped up to fifth at the start in conditions suitable for Intermediate tyres and was able to dive into the pits just as the Safety Car was deployed. But while eventual race winner Daniel Ricciardo switched to Options, Button remained on Intermediates as McLaren anticipated the wet weather to return. It remained dry, forcing Button to pit after just a […]

McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen must start from the pit lane due to the damage he sustained in his accident during the final segment of qualifying. Magnussen was caught out by a brief rain shower which doused the circuit at the first corner and slid into the tyre barriers. Although he still qualified in 10th position, McLaren has been forced to change the chassis and gearbox of his MP4-29, necessitating a pit lane start. "I just hit the wall," he said. "The track was much wetter […]

Jenson Button says that McLaren must improve the balance of the MP4-29 prior to qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. Button was ninth fastest during the second practice session at the Hungaroring and while the Brit was content with long run pace, he thinks the team needs to work on its one lap speed. "I had a relatively good run on the soft tyre using high fuel, so I’m feeling happier about that, but the balance over a single lap is something we […]

Kevin Magnussen expressed his delight after equalling his best qualifying result at the German Grand Prix. Magnussen set the fourth quickest time at Hockenheim and will line up behind only Nico Rosberg and the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa. "This has been a good day for me," he said. "I think we got everything out of the car in terms of set-up, and our strategy throughout qualifying was perfect. Thanks to all the guys in the garage – they did a fantastic […]

Kevin Magnussen expressed his satisfaction at the upgrades which McLaren has brought to the German Grand Prix after he set the fifth fastest time during practice at Hockenheim. Magnussen was trialling a new front wing as part of an update package which is being used at this weekend's event, having originally been planned for next weekend's race in Hungary. "I can’t really explain the relatively close gap to the cars at the front, but everybody is running different programmes on different fuel-loads," he said. "The […]

Kevin Magnussen is sure that McLaren's package will be more suited to Hockenheim, the venue of this weekend's German Grand Prix, than circuits which Formula 1 has recently visited. Magnussen has scored points in the last four races and finished in seventh place in both Austria and Britain. Magnussen isn't expecting a drastic overhaul by McLaren, but believes that the MP4-29 will be suited to the characteristics of the Hockenheim circuit. "I’ve raced at Hockenheim before – back in 2010 when I was in German […]

As speculation swirls around the future of F1's most experienced active driver, McLaren supremo Ron Dennis has called on Jenson Button to up his game. At the end of his fifteenth consecutive season on the grid, 34-year-old Briton Button's current McLaren contract is up. Despite speculative links between the Woking based team and Button's fellow champions like Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and even Lewis Hamilton, Dennis insisted in Austria that McLaren is "not looking to finalise our driver lineup now". He did, however, admit that […]

Kevin Magnussen believes that he extracted the maximum possible from the McLaren MP4-29 upon Formula 1's return to Austria. Magnussen raced inside the top 10 through and finished in seventh after losing out to Sergio Perez during the final few laps. "I really thought we were going to finish sixth today, but Checo [Perez] just had too much pace at the end of the race," he said. "That wasn’t great, but it’s positive that we’re making improvements. We’ve made progress this weekend, but we still […]

Jenson Button says he is concerned about the layout of the penultimate corner at the Red Bull Ring ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix. Button, who was seventh quickest in second practice, reckons that the pit entry - which begins on the approach to the corner - has the potential to cause problems, while there is the risk that exceeding track limits could be the quicker option on a hot lap. "There will probably be a couple of talking points in the drivers’ briefing […]

McLaren duo Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen believe that tyres will be the crucial factor during Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. Button was eighth quickest in qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and is hoping that predicted hot temperatures will play into McLaren's hands. "It’s going to be such a difficult afternoon for everyone which is great, we’re not in a position that we’re happy with so hot temperatures could mix it up, maybe starting outside the top 10 is a good thing, maybe it’s not," […]

Kevin Magnussen does not believe that his lack of experience in Formula 1 is hurting McLaren's rate of development in 2014. Magnussen is in his rookie season in the sport, whereas McLaren team-mate Jenson Button has racked up over 250 starts. "Our feedback is never the same, it's always different, which is good, because you get different inputs and different ideas," Magnussen said of his feedback compared to Button. "I don't feel like I'm holding the team back in the development of the car. I […]

Kevin Magnussen is targeting a trouble-free weekend in Canada after being beset by a number of issues across recent events. The Danish driver encountered technical problems which left him in the midfield in Spain, while a power unit issue plus a late race collision with Kimi Raikkonen dropped him down to 10th in Monaco, having run inside the top six for much of the race. "The track looks like a lot of fun; it’s got a good blend of corners, and it’s the kind of […]