Despite struggling for power and points all season, Jenson Button has praised the progress made on the aerodynamic performance of the McLaren MP4-30.
The former world champion, who recently extended his contract with McLaren, cited the influence of new chief engineer Peter Prodromou, who joined from Red Bull in September last year. Button was full of praise for the improvements made under the guidance of Prodromou.
Speaking to ESPN, Button said “You can probably see his influence with the way the car looks and the way the ride height is with the car. Prod is coming in at a very difficult time and if he’d came in two years ago then last year would have been a lot more competitive. Now it’s very difficult to see how we have improved the car balance and its speed, but it’s definitely there”
Button spoke about the relationship the McLaren drivers have with Prodromou, in particular the new chief engineer’s desire to listen to the drivers’ input and ideas.
“I like his ideas, I like the way he works in terms of how he listens to us as drivers. The details he wants from us in terms of where the wind is coming from with the front wing, the rear wing and the centre of the car, it’s really interesting. It’s a nice feeling as a driver being listened to.”
The 35-year-old remains confident that the team can improve, despite a painful season in terms of results. The British driver says the team can take encouragement from the chassis improvements this year and that it’s important to remain positive.
“It’s tough for everyone. The guys are positive and confident it’s going to improve – and that’s a reality – but they are also hurting as well.”
Further praise was given to the team at the factory and the mechanics for their hard work and commitment to getting the team back in championship contention.
“The mechanics are still working flat out because they want to build the car as perfect as they can. The guys back at the factory are working harder than ever to improve, in terms of aerodynamics and taking weight out of areas of the car that are quite heavy.”
