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Button believes McLaren were too optimistic ahead of season start

17:23, 09 May 2018

byAdam Newton

Former McLaren driver Jenson Button believes the team set their targets too high and pre-season and maintains that the team has made good progress.

Button raced for McLaren for seven seasons between 2010 and 2016, and made a one-off appearance at last year’s Monaco GP, deputising for Fernando Alonso.

Alonso is McLaren’s main points scorer this year, with 28. He is the highest points scorer of drivers outside the top three teams.

Button believes that the team set their expectations too high during preparation for the season, saying: “McLaren came out last year and this year and said they think they might have the best car.

“It’s a tall order to have the best car in Formula One when you’re racing against Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. And I think we’ve seen that isn’t the case.

“They’ve made good steps, they’re fourth in the constructors’ standings, but because of what they said at the start of the year you say maybe it’s not what we expected.”

McLaren and particularly Alonso will be keen for a good haul of points in the Spaniard’s home race this weekend to help them fight off the chasing pack, particularly Renault, in the battle for P4 in the Constructors’ Championship.