24/05/2017
NEWS STORY
In the McLaren MCL32 this weekend while Fernando Alonso chases his Indy 500 dream, Jenson Button is confident his preparations for Monaco are enough.
Since 'retiring' - in every sense - in Brazil last year, the Briton hasn't driven an F1 car other than the McLaren simulator.
Admitting that following the 'invite' from McLaren to replace Alonso, he first consulted his dogs and then his girlfriend, the 2009 world champion denies that taking part in the post-Bahrain test would have helped his preparations.
"Preparation has been good, apart from the fact I haven't driven the car, these new regulations," he told reporters. "It's not perfect but the option was to do half a day in Bahrain, which I thought was useless for me to do, being a completely different circuit.
"So I said to the team I thought it best if I did the simulator," he continued. "I have spent a lot of time in the simulator getting used to it. It will be interesting, there are a few things different, with the regulations and year-to-year with the technology, but it is still a racing car."
In fact, while the second day of the Bahrain test, when Stoffel Vandoorne was at the wheel, was pretty much trouble-free, the Belgian completing 81 laps and posting the fourth best time of the day, the previous day saw Oliver Turvey complete just 16 laps.
"In hindsight it's always easy to say that I would have done 17 laps the day I would have tested, and only half a day," said Button. "Bahrain is a different circuit to here.
"I think as long as you understand where the car is working, and running through today, those are the things you need to understand and those are the things you can do in the simulator. It is wider, which is the big thing for me. The way the tyres work, you work your way around it, and it is warm, which helps.
"I am very relaxed, very excited actually," he insisted. "It is interesting coming back for one Grand Prix. Monaco it is very special. I've won it before, done it for 17 years and had some really good experiences. But I don't feel any pressure at all.
"I will get in the car and do the best job I can and everything I do, I will get the best out of myself and get the best out of the equipment and team I am working with.
"The car was working well in Barcelona qualifying. I drove the upgrade in the simulator and it was a definite improvement. If it is all straightforward this weekend, we should be reasonable."
Check out our Wednesday gallery from Monaco, here.