Belgian GP, a race Jenson Button admits he cannot win!
An otherwise dominant name in the F1 arena, McLaren have had a difficult year and Button as well as team principal Martin Whitmarsh say an outright win in Belgium is not a possibility.
He won the race here last year but McLaren's Jenson Button has admitted this time around, McLaren are unlikely to get a spot on the podium at the Circuit de Spa.
Ninth in the points table with just 39 points, Button is looking forward to doing his best in this weekend's race but is aware that the car is highly unlikely to propel him to the victor's pedestal. "We don't go to Spa with the package to win, but I'll still be making the most of every single lap around this place - it'll still feel incredible," he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "I think back to my victory last year - I had pretty much the perfect weekend - my car was fantastic, I got pole position and led the whole race."
While Button was indeed dominant in the previous edition of the Belgian GP, the tale so far this year has been nightmarish for him and his team. McLaren's new design has boomeranged on the team - currently placed sixth with 57 points, two short of Sahara Force India - leading to lackluster performances this season.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh too has echoed Button's opinion. "While we're not contenders for an outright victory this time round, the whole team is looking forward to another opportunity to build on our ability to understand and operate the MP4-28," he said.
The other McLaren driver in Sergio Perez - who filled in the gap left by Lewis Hamilton at the start of this season - is placed 12th in the drivers' standings with 18 points.