F1 | McLaren, Button: “These cars are fantastic!”

Eleventh and twelfth position for Stoffel Vandoorne and Jenson Button in free practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, sixth round of the 2017 Formula One World Championship. Despite the many problems at the start of the championship, McLaren managed to exploit all the potential of the MCL32 in the narrow streets of the Principality, positioning itself close to the top ten. The Belgian driver did well, having had a very solid day and was close to the group in the points. Jenson Buttno, however, was surprising: the Englishman managed to keep up with his teammate, finishing just a few tenths away from the top ten. A performance that bodes well for Saturday's qualifying.

Here are the words of Jenson Button: “It was a very fun day and I admit I laughed during the installation lap. I enjoyed every single lap today, even though we struggled with grip for much of FP2. These cars brake much later than last year and getting used to it wasn't easy, but I think I've created a good feeling. The car is fun, fast and above all very "raw". It's really fun for a rider to ride on it. We are not yet at the top in terms of settings, but we know where to intervene and we hope to improve in FP3 on Saturday morning."

Here are Stoffel Vandoorne's impressions: “It was a reasonably good day if we consider the pace and the many laps accumulated. In the middle of the pack we are all very close and therefore we will have to exploit every single thousandth during Saturday's qualifying. Considering the pace and times shown today, one or two tenths can make a huge difference. We will make some small changes before free practice on Saturday morning, but in general I am satisfied with the set-up and we will try to continue on this path.".

Roberto Valenti